A New Beginning
by KristinaLaine
Summary: In the aftermath of the destruction of Sunnydale, the members of The Scooby Gang and Angel Inc. unite to rescue one of their own. During the mission, a new team unites to fight the forces of darkness and take back the night. * Newly Chapters Coming Soon *
1. A New Beginning

**Faith: The Series (Pilot Episode)**

Author: Kristina Laine

**Summary: **In the aftermath of the destruction of Sunnydale, the members of The Scooby Gang and Angel Inc. unite to rescue one of their own. During the mission, a new team unites to fight the forces of darkness and take back the night.

**Rating: **PG-13

**Type: **Action/Adventure/Mystery

**Ships: **Faith/Xander (primarily), Buffy/Xander (reference only), Dawn/Connor (cause its inevitable), and Angel/Cordelia.

**Warnings: **Like my other stories, this will have a somewhat dark undertone. I know, again, but as my bio says I can't write happy. However, it will not in any way touch the levels of darkness in which **That Was Then, This Is Reality** has. That was purely a catharsis piece for me. This is more action than angsty and I swear that people will have more fun this time around.

**Authors Notes: **I always wanted to do Faith centric spin-off and this is the first in a virtual series (pilot episode) in which that will happen. I kinda let this story go after a while and my recent work with virtual series with other authors kinda rekindled my love and desire to finish this baby.

ONTO THE STORY

**Chapter One: A New Beginning **

Rain poured down in buckets.

It had been for the last few days. Considering this was San Francisco, and not the almost always warm world of Sunnyhell, it was something to get used to. Right now though, the incessant downpour was the least of Xander Harris' problems. In the months since leaving Sunnydale, he and his fellowship have spent their time chasing one evil fiend to the next in the hopes of squashing the rise of a new order since the fall of The Hellmouth.

They had headed to Vegas first with the intention of having some fun, which they did for about a month. Then they discovered that one of the casino owners was actually a chaos demon that was sacrificing hookers to please the lower being that was ensuring that no one ever won the big jackpot. Thus starting their mission to ferret out the last of the demonic threats. He soon learned that the other remaining members of the chosen few would follow his footsteps. Spreading across the globe in order to attack the remaining threads of evil.

Their current assignment took them to San Francisco where, a nest of vampires on their way up in the world were rumored to be up to something rather nasty. They had spent three weeks working intel. Getting to know their habits, the inner workings of their organization and most importantly, where they liked to hang out. One such place was an old warehouse right off of Fisherman's Wharf. They had hit it right before sunset, had taken them by surprise, took many of them out within the first hour. Those that remained took off unto the streets, with the three of them in hot pursuit. Xander had spotted two heading for the docks. One met its death when it tripped on fisherman's nets and was then greeted by his crossbow bolt. The other had taken into one of the ferry boats heading out towards Alcatraz. Xander had followed. He had began to search deck by deck as the boat inched along. He had to find and stake the fiend before it reached the rock land mass where a bunch of school children were coming off an overnight field trip of the old prison.

He worked from the bottom of the ferry to the top. Settling on the upper deck, he began to traipse his way thru the compartments, searching for where a vampire could hide from the fast approaching dawn. He had been tracking this vamp almost the entire night. He was tired. Cold. And hoping that Faith and Dawn were okay on their own. He hated having to leave them behind, however as he learned quickly when it comes between taking down the evil fiend, or waiting for the girls to catch up, it would be the fiend every time. He also knew that they could handle themselves. He was proud of how capable his girls had become in the months that followed the final fight. Or so many of them thought.

When the Hellmouth and Sunnydale had been destroyed, they had thought that their lives would go back to normal. Back to the way it used to be. However, soon enough, they would all learn that life could never go back to the way it was. That they couldn't just sit idly by while small pockets of evil could possibly be plotting the next uprising. So they settled to continue on. All of them. Just not together. It was decided that they could cover more ground if they split into groups. Each taking a section of the world and doing what they could to protect it. Xander had never been one for traveling, so he decided to stay in the US. Immediately Faith and Dawn would be staying with him. Its not like they had much of a choice. Ever since he and Dawn unwittingly helped Faith escape from prison, the three had been joined at the hip, and as far as any of them cared, they would stay that way.

As he crept from room to room, his mind kept wandering back to his final days in Sunnydale. The last time he was together with The Scoobs. Things had been so rough. So intense. They hardly had any time to enjoy themselves. He thought when it was all over, that they would have one big 'We Saved The World' party. Things didn't happen that way. When it was all said and done, they went about their separate ways without so much as an acknowledgment of the feat they had just accomplished. Seven years of friendship and not so much as a goodbye. It would be months before he would hear from anyone again, and that was only to acknowledge his suggestion about taking on what evil remained in the world.

Now he was on a ship in San Francisco hunting down vampires, and not a Scooby in sight. As he reached the final compartment, Xander paused. This had to be it. There was no other place for this vampire to go. He gripped the handle on his crossbow as he swung the door open. To his surprise, there wasn't a vampire in the room. There was something completely different.

"What the -- " Xander said before pain filled his head sending him crashing to the floor.

As his vision began to blur he could see a figure standing over him. And as darkness overtook him, he swore he recognized who it was.


	2. Unexpected Return

Chapter Two: Unexpected Return  
  
Back at the hotel Faith found herself worried. Xander had yet to check in. Don't get her wrong there had been times where they got split up but never had they gone this long without checking in. Dawn, who had been pacing about the room waiting for Xander to return had fallen asleep as the credits rolled on Jay Leno. Since leaving Sunnydale, the three of them had been ferreting out the last few pockets of supernatural fiends that were left over after the fall of The Hellmouth. She hadn't try to kid herself that it was going to be easy or that it wasn't dangerous, but it was a life that no one should have to live.   
  
When things were finally taken care of in Sunnydale, it seemed like they could put it all behind them. The three of them took to Vegas for some action but not the kind they were looking for. Three weeks after the first attack in Nevada, they had gotten a call from Giles alerting them of the success in Cleveland. By that time they had already decided that there was no way they could stand around and just let the world be over run by demons. Giles had agreed with their suggestion and within a few weeks they had taken off to various parts of the world to battle the coming darkness.  
  
Giles, Willow, Kennedy and Rona had taken off for London where the remaining Watchers had gathered and set to rebuild The Council. Out of all of The Scoobs, they were the ones who managed to keep the most in touch.  
  
Buffy, Robin Wood, and Andrew took off for Belize where they met up with Riley and Samantha Finn. The last time they had heard from them, they had dropped off over some jungle nest full of some kind of jungle beasts.  
  
Angel, Connor and Cordelia headed for Tibet where, last time he had checked, they were trying to help some Buddhist monks whose ranks were being thinned by some kind of flying demon.  
  
As for the three of them, they stuck to the states. Traveling here and there, mainly following whatever they heard over the demonic grape vine. Ever since she had busted out of prison that day that Xander and Dawn came to visit, they had been stuck together. At first it wasn't the best of situations, however as time wore on they came to depend on one another. Stand by each other. Become a family of sorts. Especially for Dawn.   
  
After the destruction of Sunnydale, Buffy had distanced herself from Dawn. Too broken up over what had happened to Spike to really care. Eventually, they had woken up one morning to find out she had left during the night, asking Xander to watch over her sister. Giles had sent Robin Wood and Andrew to find her, eventually running into her with Riley's platoon. Dawn had felt immediately betrayed. Once again to be pushed aside for the peroxide wonder.  
  
Faith had always known Buffy to be self centered at times but never did she imagine she would abandon her own sister, over Spike. She knew what it was like not to be wanted and knew how hard it had been for her. Faith took the time to try and bond with Dawn, which she felt like they did.  
  
"Is Xander home yet?" yawned Dawn as she took a seat next to Faith by the window.  
  
"Not yet," Faith replied trying not to sound terrified.  
  
"Something's happened, hasn't it?"  
  
Faith could tell by Dawn's voice that she was scared.  
  
"Nothing happened," Faith said reassuringly, however it was more for herself than Dawn.  
  
"We don't know that!"  
  
"Dawny calm down, its okay."  
  
"We don't know that."  
  
The two gave each other an intense stare. They didn't know that Xander was okay but they couldn't think that. Their concentration was interrupted by a knock at the door.  
  
"Xander!"   
  
"No, Dawn. Wait."  
  
Dawn exclaimed as she ran to the door and flung it open before Faith could stop her. Dawn stood at the door in shock. Unable to speak, unable to move. This had Faith worried.  
  
"Dawn what is it?" Faith asked as she moved over towards the door. To her surprise it wasn't Xander. But a dirty, bloody and scarred Buffy.  
  
"What are you doing here?" Faith asked stepping protectively between the other Slayer and Dawn.  
  
"He's taken Xander."  
  
With that Buffy moved past Faith followed by Giles, Willow and Riley.  
  
"Whose taken Xander?"  
  
Buffy took a look at Dawn with great guilt in her eyes before setting them back on Faith.  
  
"Spike," she whispered softly as she plopped down on the bed. 


	3. Missing In Action

Chapter Three: Missing In Action  
  
"What do you mean Spike took him?" Faith asked as she plopped back down beside the worn out Slayer. "Spike's dust."  
  
"Unfortunately not as dusty as some of us would like."  
  
Faith could tell there was a hint of disdain in Riley's voice. She didn't blame him. He was never a fan of Spike and he had every right to be mad.  
  
"We saw Spike go up in flames and even if he managed to survive that, all of Sunnydale was destroyed B, there ain't no coming back from that."  
  
"Yeah, well whatever reason behind his miraculous return, the point is that Xander and the others are missing," Willow said as she took a seat on the second bed, where Dawn had holed herself up since Buffy had walked into the room.   
  
"Others? Could someone please explain to me what the hell is going on?" Faith asked impatiently.  
  
Giles, who was leaning up against the chest of drawers cleaning off his glasses, was the one to speak.  
  
"We had received intelligence a week ago about the rise of a strange vampire cult north of Oxford. Willow and a team of Watchers were sent to assess the situation. Upon their arrival tjey were attacked. During the battle, they became split up. After the scuffle they discovered that Kennedy had disappeared. A few days after that, a similar event happened to Buffy and Riley, this time it was Samantha that vanished. And a call from Angel this morning informs us that Cordelia has gone missing off the coast of Johannesburg."  
  
"What does any of this have to do with Spike?"  
  
"Fortunately for us Riley was able to get a look at Samantha's abduction. He had seen someone that looked like Spike taking off with his wife."  
  
"It didn't look like Spike. It was him!" Riley exclaimed with a rising fury.  
  
"We all believe you Riley," Buffy said getting up from the bed and joining Giles beside the chest of drawers. "We spent most of our time since the initial abduction looking for everybody. I had this gut feeling that this wasn't just an isolated incident. We managed to follow your trail to San Fran. Found out that you were following the same trail as Giles and came looking for you."  
  
"How did you know he would go for Xander?"  
  
"Spike hates Xander," Dawn said in a small whisper. "He's the most obvious choice."  
  
"How did you know Xander was taken?"  
  
"Riley saw him follow a figure onto the boats leading to the rock. However when it came back there was nothing but a bunch of school children."  
  
"The next logical choice was to find you," Giles interjected taking a moment to look from Faith to Dawn to find some kind of reaction to what they had just said.  
  
"We need to find out what's going on," Faith said as she took a peek out the hotel window. "What would Spike want with them?"  
  
"We can't jump to conclusions. Spike has a soul, he wouldn't hurt them."  
  
"This is bullshit."  
  
The occupants of the room turned to see Dawn staring back at them with menace.  
  
Buffy frowned slightly, "Dawn don't say that."  
  
"What am I supposed to say Buffy!" Dawn yelled getting up from the bed to look her sister in the face. "You've been gone for months with not so much as a word to us about how we are doing or what has happened to us. Now all of a sudden Spike shows up and you show your face again. Tell the truth, this has nothing to do with Xander or the others at all. All you want is to find Spike so that the two of you can start fucking again."  
  
"Dawn! Vulgarity is uncalled for." Willow said trying to calm the young girl down.  
  
"No its not red. Buffy just ups and leaves her own sister because she's broken up over Spike. Nothing she says to Buffy is uncalled for."  
  
"Faith stay out of this." Buffy said glaring at her fellow Slayer.  
  
"I don't think so B," Faith said moving closer to Buffy. "I became a part of this the day you left. And there is no way in hell I am just going to sit back and let you hurt Dawn."  
  
"I would never hurt Dawn!"  
  
"Well, you have a funny way of showing it."  
  
"Ladies!" Riley said as he grabbed Buffy from behind preventing her from socking Faith. "As much as I would love to see a nice girl fight, we have more important things to worry about. Having the two of you come to blows won't help us any. Agreed?"  
  
"Agreed," Faith whispered slumping back on the bed.  
  
"Buffy?" Riley asked as he tried to get a hold of the Slayer struggling in his grasp. "If you agree, I'll let you go."  
  
"Agreed."  
  
"Good. Dawny?"  
  
"For now," the young girl seethed. "But when we find Xander, you better be sure you find Spike first. Because if I do, I'll kill him. Soul or no soul. He's a dead man."  
  
Dawn made her way to the chest of drawers and pulled out her wallet.   
  
"I'm going for a soda."  
  
"I'll go with you Dawn," Riley said as he followed the young girl out the door.  
  
All Faith could do was watch her leave, cursing Buffy under her breath. 


	4. Lessons In Stealth

**Chapter Four: Lessons In Stealth **

Dawn had already pressed the button that said Sprite when she noticed the sounds of footsteps from behind her.

"If you're going to try and talk to me about Buffy, save your breath."

"Wasn't going to," Riley said smiling with that good old farm boy grin of his. "Actually wanted to see how you were doing. Haven't seen you in a long time."

"Too long," Dawn muttered while taking a sip from her Sprite.

"Yeah, I know. I've just been . . . "

"Busy," Dawn said finishing his sentence with a smug arrogance. "So has everybody else. Join the club."

"Actually, there is a club. I guess we all forgot to tell you."

Riley cracked a wide smile hoping that his sarcasm would get some kind of response from the girl. It didn't. All Riley got was an angry glare that told him to not say the back up joke he had been working on while talking to her.

"Humor not working for you?"

"Not in the slightest."

"Well, at least we've made progress."

"How?"

"I got you to stop thinking about Buffy, for all of what," Riley said looking down at his watch. "Two whole minutes?"

"Yeah, that's a record," Dawn said smiling for the first time Riley had seen since had arrived.

"Look. Dawny. I know this must be tough. . . " Riley didn't finish his sentence. He could see by the look on her face it had been a poor choice of words.

"Tough?! Tough, doesn't even begin to describe it. My sister abandoned me! And not just when she left. She promised to show me the world and then just pushed me aside when the first distraction came by."

"That's sounds really horrible Dawn."

"It was! You know how I got thru it? Xander. He stood by me. He cared for me when no one else knew that I was alive. When she left he was the only one who cared. And now he's gone. "

Riley could see Dawn beginning to tear up. 

"Their still alive," he said, not being able to conceal the crack in his voice.

"We don't know that! We don't!" Dawn said not holding back as the tears spilled down her face. "I don't know what I'm gonna do if he's . . ."

"Don't think like that. We have to have hope. We have to believe that they are alive and well and we'll find them again."

Dawn could tell the pain in his voice and for the first time realized she was not alone in her fears.

"Oh, my god Riley, I totally forgot about Sam. I'm sorry!"

"Its okay. We've all had it bad. The point is that we find Spike."

"And then what?"

"We find some answers."

From a large van across the street a lone figure dressed head to toe in black sat perched watching them. His the lens of his camera snapping away. When he had gotten what he needed he picked up a walkie-talkie off the empty passenger sides seat.

"Boss, I found 'em. What do you want me to do now?"

"Nothing." replied the shadowy voice on the other end. "Leave it to me."

"Roger."

With that the lone figure placed the walkie-talkie down and reached to turn the ignition. Before he could a strong hand reached in thru the cracked window and with a loud snap broke his hand.

"Ow!"

"Just like I said Dawn," Riley said breaking the window and pulling the figure out. "Answers."

"Ow, that really hurt, you butt wad!"

"Wait a minute," Dawn said as she approached the lone figure. "I recognize that voice."

Pulling off the lone figures mask, Dawn's suspicions were confirmed. There stood before her was a short, spikey-haired geek with a broken hand.

"Andrew!"

"Hey Dawn," Andrew said in a small wave. "Long time no see."


	5. Surveillance

**Chapter Five: Surveillance **

"What are you doing here?" Riley asked as he flung Andrew up against the van.

"Hey, can we watch the brutality? The van's a rental."

"Answer the question!"

"How did you find me?" Andrew asked in his patented whiny shrill.

"He's military," Dawn replied annoyed already at the geeks presence. "Its kinda his job to be all stealthy."

"Oh, yeah, I forgot."

"How could you forget? The last time I saw you, you were headed with Principal Wood to find Buffy."

"He never met up with us," Riley said as he pushed Andrew harder against the van. "Robin said he vanished one day. Had no idea where he went."

"You don't scare me. Soon my master will come and you will all die bloody and horrible deaths," Andrew sped out topping it off by sticking out his tongue. "So there." 

It was this time, that Dawn smacked Andrew across his face.

"What the hell are you doing here geek?" she asked as looking him square in the eyes.

"Surveillance," he quivered. "Spike wanted to see if Buffy and the others had made contact with Faith."

"What for?" Riley asked. "What is Spike up to?"

"I don't know. He's just told me to follow you and that when it was all over, we would be rewarded."

"By who?"

"I don't believe it!" Buffy exclaimed as Riley dragged Andrew into the hotel room and flung him on the bed.

"Where did you find him?" Faith asked as she gave Andrew a quizzical stare.

"Sitting in a van outside the hotel room," Riley said sitting down on the chest of drawers. "Said he's been doing surveillance for Spike."

"Well now, isn't that interesting," Buffy said grabbing a chair and sitting down in front of Andrew.

"So that's where you went."

"I will tell you nothing," Andrew said swiftly before squinting his eyes and mouth shut.

"Start talking or I start hurting."

Without hesitation Andrew's face returned to normal.

"What do you want to know?"

"Well that went easily enough," said Riley.

"Yeah, well he's been thru this one before," Buffy replied. "I doubt he wants a repeat performance. Okay, geek. Spill."

"I was on my way to Belize with Principal Wood to find Buffy cause she abandoned Dawn and everyone thought it was totally irresponsible of her. By the way, why did you leave?"

"Lets move on," Buffy said giving Andrew an evil stare.

"Anyways, we were in Honduras when I was awakened in the middle of the night by Spike."

"Was he alive?"

Faith flinched at the annotation in her fellow Slayer's voice on the word _alive_. Like she wanted to know if he was. Andrew nodded.

"So what did he talk to you about?" Riley asked also noting the uncomfortable glee in Buffy's voice.

"Said there was something brewing. Something big. And that he had to somehow have all of you back together again."

"So that's why he took them," Riley said leaning up against the chest of drawers. "One from each of the groups. He knew that we would keep in touch."

"Did he say why?"

"All he told me is what I told Riley and Dawn outside," Andrew said looking directly at Buffy when he spoke. 

"Which was?"

"Go to San Francisco. Wait for them. Let me know when they come. And something about the master would reward me."

"What master?" Buffy asked.

"Didn't I just tell you a moment ago that's all I know."

Before Buffy could smack him across the face, Faith intervened putting herself in between the two of them. 

"There will be time for beat down's later B. Right now I think we've all had enough for today. What say we all get eight hours and meet at the Denny's in the morning?"

"Sounds good to me," Riley said getting up and making his way towards the exit. 

"What do we do about?" Dawn said indicating to Andrew.

"I'll take him," Giles said picking the nerd up by the neck. "That way I can assure he lives till the morning."

Giles followed Riley out the door. The others soon followed. Faith could see as Buffy faltered to take a look at Dawn, who ignored her sister completely. 

"What did you expect?" Faith whispered as Buffy walked out the door and ran to catch up with the others.

Slamming the door Faith turned to see Dawn crying on the bed. She hesitated. This was normally something Xander took care of. She hadn't really provided Dawn with any kind of comfort since they had been on the run. However, Xander wasn't here and Faith knew that was something that was eating away at her as well. Without really putting that much thought into it she walked over to Dawn and pulled her into a hug. 

"Don't worry," Faith said, her voice catching slightly. "We'll find him."

Halfway across the city, a tall man with dark brown hair and fair complexion pressed stopped on a tape machine. The little dweeb did good. A scarred hand reached and picked up a cellular phone. After pressing the speed dial and the constant ringing a chipper voice could be heard on the other end.

"Wolfram and Hart. How may I direct your call?"

"I'd like to speak to Mr. Wyndhm-Pryce. Its a matter of the utmost urgency."


	6. Bloodening

**Chapter Six: Bloodening**

After the short bus ride to Los Angeles when Sunnydale had gone to ruin the remaining members of The Scooby Gang met up at Denny's. They had taken up residence at a local hotel where they had washed the dirt and blood from their bodies. There had been a strangled and albeit awkward silence in the beginning but they had all taken it as stress and exhaustion. No one had known the trouble that would lay ahead for them. How bad things would actually get.

Faith would be busted again by the cops shortly after leaving Sunnydale. For all her careful behavior not to draw attention, she got busted for a bar brawl. Buffy had skipped soon after that, leaving Xander to raise her sister. Then came the wonderfully dramatic, window busting prison break with Faith and the months of demon slayage that had followed. From what she had been told, the others would make it to Cleveland where many people would lose their lives in the process of destroying that Hellmouth, including a young woman named Winifred Burkle, who had worked alongside Angel for almost three years. 

It would have be a month before anyone had heard from Buffy and even then it was Riley who had told them where she was. Incensed Giles sent Robin and Andrew to see what was going on with her. He and Willow had been too busy rounding up the remaining potentials to chase after a has been Slayer with emotional problems. That is what Buffy had become. With the destruction of Sunnydale, all her fame, all her glory, everything that made her the world renowned demon killer got blown to hell. Literally.

Maybe that's why she had left. 

Dawn tried not to glance at her sister as she messed with the claw machine spending endless amounts of quarters to get herself the novelty N' Sync back pack. Part of her was elated to see her sister again. However that couldn't make up for the rising anger that began to cloud her every thought. In all the time that Dawn had been alive Buffy had never acted like her sister. She may have _died_ for her but there was no trace of that Buffy to be found anywhere. She was _dead_ and there was no way Dawn could think of to get her back.

She had grown alot since the last time Buffy has seen her. Dawn was now the equivalent of a High School graduate. Xander had insisted that she get a G.E.D. when they had a dry spell while traveling thru Pittsburgh. Then there was the fact that she had sex. Albeit even Xander didn't know about that one, it was something that only Faith had known. His name was Pete, he was in her G.E.D class and the leader of a rock band. He was also a psycho levitation demon who tried to kill her, which is why she had to tell Faith. The two of them had handled the slayage without having to mention it to Xan. He would have just overreacted in that overprotective big brother/surrogate father-figure way he always did. To top off her worldliness, Dawn had killed. Not humans, but demons. She had made herself straight into the thick of things. Learned to hold her own with a Slayer and a Carpenter with seven years practical experience.

However as far as Buffy was concerned she was still that naive girl she had left behind for parts unknown and for reasons untold. If it wasn't for her possibly having a way to rescue Xander she would have told her to get bent and the hell out of her sight. All that mattered was finding Xander. She couldn't imagine what she would do if something had happened to him. He was the only person who really stood by her now. She was getting closer to Faith, despite their past misgivings, however she just wouldn't help in the ways that Xander could.

"You know you're never gonna get it."

Dawn turned around to see Faith staring at her.

"I will."

"No, ya won't," she said getting up and walking over to her. "These babies are wired to lose. All you're doing is losing your cash. Besides if you really want that back pack so badly you can buy it at Wal-Mart for a fourth of what you have put in that machine."

"Its not the bag that's important. Its the fact that _I_ get it."

Faith laughed, "You sound like Xander. Remember when we got lost and ended up at that Denny's in Sylmar?"

"Yeah," Dawn giggled, the memory now fresh in her mind. "He spent forty dollars and almost an hour trying to get that Battlestar Galactica collector pillow."

"And he still didn't get it. We had to practically drag him away."

"When we got him back to the booth, he got all mad and said 'Its the principal, not the pillow.'"

The two girls burst out into hysterics, getting attention from the entire restaurant.

"So what's so funny?"

Both Dawn and Faith immediately shut up as they turned to see Buffy sheepishly standing behind them.

"Nothing that concerns you," Dawn spat as she walked away and back to her table.

"You can't be too forward with her," Faith said as she watched Dawn grumpily take a seat next to Riley.

"She's my sister Faith," Buffy protested. "I think I know how to handle this?"

"Do you? 'Cause from where I'm standing it looks like your up the creek without a paddle and the waterfalls just up ahead. Face it B, you screwed up. Big time."

"When this is all over and I get a chance to talk to Dawn, she will understand."

"No, she won't."

"Yes, Faith, she will when I tell her the reason why I left."

"And why is that B?" Faith asked giving Buffy a mock look of concern. "It wouldn't have anything to do with you being all broken up over your poor little platinum dumbass, would it?"

"This has nothing to do with Spike."

"Bullshit" Faith said getting right up in Buffy's face. "You don't bother to call. Or Write. Or even tell us you're alive. But lo and behold Spikey turns up alive and well and your are not only available but eager to make with the nice. If I didn't know any better Buff I'd say your part of this whole snatch and grab with Xander and the others."

"I would never do something like that!"

"Well lately Buffy, you've been doing a helluva lot of things you wouldn't have done a few years ago. Like rough and tumbles with vampires in abandoned buildings. So as far as I stand Buffy, you are capable of anything. So if you're sincere about all of this, you're gonna have to prove it."

"I have nothing to prove to you!"

"Lesson the first. I ain't the one you need to prove things to," she said walking back towards the others.

Buffy was hit with a wave of sadness. So much had to be done and she didn't even know where to begin.

A black limo with tinted windows sat outside the offices of Wolfram and Hart. For Wesley Wyndhm-Pryce, it was a meeting he was not looking forward to. He was aware of the situation and what needed to be done. However deep down inside, he was uncertain as to exactly how that would be achieved. He was hoping that this would afford him some answers. He wasn't overtly fond of the individual he was about to meet. Hadn't been since he had known them. But he was running out of leads and four innocent lives hung in the balance. 

As he stood at the bottom of the steps, a tall man with sandy brown hair and wearing a grey Prada silk suit stepped from within the limo.

"Its been a long time Wesley," the man said extending his scarred right hand. "I barely recognize you."

"And I you," Wes replied not taking the man's gesture.

Miffed the man put his hand down and gave Wesley a seriously disagreeable scowl. 

"Not going to partake in the pleasantries I see."

"Not with you. No."

"Fine then," the man hissed. "I guess we will just cut to the chase. Hmm?"

Not wasting any time, Wes got straight to the point.

"What do you know about the recent kidnappings of members of a supernatural team of demon hunters?"

"I know who took them?"

Wesley's eyes went wide," Who took them?"

"Its The Order."

"The Order? As in . . . "

"The very one my old friend," the man said massaging his hands. "There have been reports that The Order was very active in the months leading towards the destructions of the Hellmouth. Everyone was so busy preparing for the Apocalypse that their actions were able to go about virtually unnoticed."

"To what end do they hope to achieve."

"The one thing they have always wanted Wesley. Total and complete world domination as seen fit in their image."

"Then why take them? What purpose do they serve?"

The man laughed. "The means they always serve. To an end. There is something that they want. Something that belongs to them. Now someone in that group knows exactly what that is and why they want it. All they want is their merchandise returned."

"Are you saying that someone is lying to us?"

"That is precisely what I am saying Wesley old boy. You've gotta traitor amongst you."

Wesley couldn't believe what he had heard. It was difficult to believe who had taken them. But to actually wrap his mind around the fact that there was someone amongst the group who could possibly be working against them was hard to fathom."

"Do you know who?"

"No, but there is one more thing I forgot to mention."

"And what would that be?"

Before the man could answer, Wesley was hit with an overwhelming nausea and a cold that began to slowly creep up his body.

"What the -- ?" he gasped as he fell to the ground.

The man stood stiff as he reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a handkerchief. With a swift motion he wiped the blood from his knife.

"Sorry old friend," he replied placing the handkerchief back into his pocket. "Can't have you spoiling all the fun."

Swiftly he turned back to the limousine and handed the knife to the driver.

"Dispose of this."

"Yes sir."

Once inside, he picked up his cellular phone and dialed 911.

"911 operator. What is the nature of the emergency?"

"Yes, a man has been attacked outside of the Wolfram and Hart building," he said snapping the phone shut before the operator could ask another question.

Tapping on the window he gave the drive a curt and abrupt snap. Shortly they pulled away. Wesley lay sprawled on the steps of the law firm. Unconscious and slowly bleeding to death, he stood as the only person who knew the truth and now may never live to tell it.


	7. Brothers In Arms

**Chapter Seven: Brothers In Arms**

Connor hated hospital's. 

He had only ever been in one once since he was a baby but there was this overwhelming feeling of pain and death that he didn't like in the slightest. When they had received the call about Wesley's attack they had pulled a 360 and headed back to Los Angeles. Things had been hard between his father and the others since the events in Cleveland. Since Fred's death. Gunn blamed Wesley and Wesley blamed Gunn and Angel, of course, blamed himself.

Connor was still too much out of it back then to really realize what was going on around him. Although Cordelia had awakened from her coma with almost her entire memory intact, he on the other hand had a world full of blanks that he just couldn't seem to fill. He had been told about what had happened during the End of Days. About him and Cordelia. About Jasmine. About his freak out. However for some odd reason, he didn't feel it. He had no desires for Cordelia, other than friendship. Although he felt pensive about Angel as his father, the hatred was no longer there. Lorne had chalked it up to the spell that Angel had used to wipe his memory and the memory of him, from other people's minds. Some would have called it a saving grace not being able to really remember that you did such horrible things. However for Connor, it was completely frustrating. Especially given how everyone he was around knew what he had done.

They walked on eggshells around him, especially Angel, who had seen him lose it. He did what he could to _not_ encourage his son on remembering his violent past. For Connor, it was as if he was a guilty man walking about in the company of his victims and didn't remember victimizing them. There were days, like today, when he wished he could just go off and find a life for himself, a way for him to make peace with his past. Something he wasn't getting done with his father around. Ever since he had broken out of that spell Angel had been a little too wired to his every thought or mood. If he frowned his father would be right up in his face trying to find out what was wrong with him. Lately it was his overbearing, over-fathering that was driving him up the wall.

He was convinced that if he had remembered, that Angel would have just put the whammy on him again and send him back to Colorado. He wasn't expecting that the little life he had set up for his son would be blown to bits by the girlfriend he had magically been given turning into a Slayer after Buffy had activated them all during the battle for Sunnydale. That Tracy would confide in him her secret and recruit his help in destroying the demons of the world. It was that which broke the spell. The more that he fought along side her the more that started to come back. He had remembered enough by the time the two of them reached Los Angeles to have sought his father out and demanded to be told if what he was remembering was the truth. Angel wanted to, but in the end, could not lie to him about who he really was. So he headed with his father and Cordelia, who had woken up shortly after the events in Sunnydale, and decided to take a break. They were no more than a week into their little vacation when they were called to Cleveland. 

Afterwards, Angel couldn't go back to Los Angeles, he felt too guilty. He turned the reigns of Wolfram and Hart over to Wesley and set about to help bring down the forces of darkness. As if the family that slays together, stays together or something mediocre in that sense. Things were actually going well for the three of them, until Cordelia vanished. At first they thought it to be a local problem. That was until they had received word from Wesley that the other teams had all lost someone of value to them. They were already on their way to San Francisco when they heard from Gunn in regards to Wes' condition. Angel had suspected that it was connected to the disappearances and their meeting with Gunn confirmed that Wes was apparently meeting a contact when he was attacked.

So there Connor sat in the waiting room, flipping thru a copy of _People_ and not really understanding the obsession with Bennifer when he saw his father round the corner.

"How's Wes?" he asked throwing the magazine back on the large cluttered pile beside him.

"He'll live," Angel said in a strange monotonous tone that Connor came to know as his 'Beige Angel' voice. "The knife made contact with his spleen but managed to miss many of his more vital organs. The spleen could be removed and not cause any kind of permanent damage. He's lost a lot of blood and probably be out of it for quite a while."

Noting the concern on his son's face he quickly added, "The doctors assure us he'll be fine."

"You don't have to sugarcoat it, I can handle it if it wasn't good news."

Frustrated Connor plopped back down on the chair and crossed his arms.

"Connor, I am not trying to sugarcoat anything," Angel said taking a seat next to his son.

"Yes, you are. You've been afraid to let me get upset ever since I came back into your life. Whatever happened before, however bad it was, you can't let that affect how we are now. How I am now. I am not that person anymore, I wish you could see that."

"I'm sorry if I've made this difficult for you," Angel said. "Its just seeing the look on your face back then . . . I've been scared Connor, but never like that. I _never _want to be scared like that again."

Connor looked at his father with a strange sympathy. In what he could remember Angel was never one to be scared. However in that moment not only did he believe that his father was afraid for him then but was for him now.

"You won't have to be," he said trying to hold the emotion in his voice. 

Angel gave Connor a big smile. He was almost certain they were about to hug. And they would of if Gunn hadn't come barreling from across the hall.

"Angel!"

Both he and his father turned to see Gunn who had stopped shortly in front of the nurses station.

"He's awake," was all Gunn had to say as he met both of their concerned glances.

Within minutes all three came rushing into Wes' room in the ICU. Connor flinched at Wesley weak and pale condition. The man, obviously exhausted, looked at Angel with a stark seriousness.

"Briar," he whispered. "Jaxon Briar."


	8. The Order

Chapter 8: The Order 

Connor, Gunn and Angel found themselves in Wesley's hospital room. It had been hours since he had regained consciousness and they listened intently as the former Watcher had recounted his meeting with Briar.

"Who is this Jaxon Briar, anyway?" Gunn asked as got up from the seat next to Wesley's bedside.

"Jaxon Briar comes from a long family of Watchers, like most of us did. We were in the same class at The Watchers Academy. Jaxon was a natural Watcher. He and his brother had spent countless hours training as they were boys. Everyone had such high expectations for him."

"What happened?"

"Its rather complicated story, Connor. Right before he was to begin final year at the Academy, he and his younger brother were fencing, as they always did on Sunday afternoon's following tea. Jaxon became distracted and his brother accidentally put the rapier thru his hand slicing it nearly in half. They brought in some of the top reconstructive surgeons from all over the globe but they were never able to give back to him the full use of his right hand. The nerve damage to it was not repairable. In order to qualify as a field Watcher, you had to be in nearly perfect condition. Jaxon's handicap destroyed any chance he ever had at training a Slayer."

"What happened to him after that?" Connor replied suddenly feeling very uncomfortable.

"Well The Briar's were one of the first Watcher families. They could count their lineage back to the original shamans that helped form The Council centuries ago. There hadn't been a member of his family who had not been a field Watcher. It was a devastating blow. Especially for his younger brother. So much so that he ran away. Jaxon's father, Anthony, blamed Jaxon for ruining the family legacy, since his injury had forced all hope to continue the lineage on his brother's shoulders. Defeated he quit The Council. No one was sure what had happened to him."

"Until he contacted you?"

"Yes. I'm afraid he may be mixed up with an organization known as The Order."

"The Order of what?" Connor asked as he sat in a chair near the doorway.

"Just The Order," Wes replied as he fidgeted in his hospital bed. "They were founded in the 1900's as an alternative to The Council."

"You're sayin' these guys used to be Watchers?" Gunn asked as he paced about Wesley's room.

"At one time, yes. It was said that long ago there were a group of Watcher's who were practicing the Dark Arts, something that is clearly forbidden by The Council. When they were caught and brought before the ruling members, they refused to own up to their actions. The Council had no choice but to expel them. However by that time they had already amassed a loyal following who thought how they did."

"Which is?" An exasperated Gunn muttered as Angel gave him a nod that meant sit down and stop pacing.

"The Order believed that it was foolish to waste our time with the Slayers. That eventually a time would come when they would abandon us and it would be our undoing. Which, ironically enough, they were right. Those in The Order believed that there was no way to fight the forces of evil and that it would be in our best interests to partake in that which would guarantee our survival."

"So basically if you can't beat 'em join them."

"Exactly Angel," Wesley said drawing in a painful breath.

"You okay?" 

Angel gave Wesley a concerned look. Maybe they had laid this on him too soon. Just a few hours ago he was gutted and left for dead.

"I'm fine Angel," Wesley replied looking up at Angel's unconvinced face. "Really."

"Well I think you've given us enough information for now Wes. You sit back and recover, we'll take care of the rest."

"Yeah, get better Wes." Gunn grumbled as he walked out the room.

"Same here," was all Connor said as he filed out with Angel behind him.

"Angel?"

Angel stopped from following the others. Taking a look at Connor he smiled widely, "Go with Gunn. I will be right there."

Connor nodded and when the boy was out of earshot, Angel turned to his friend.

"Yeah, Wesley?"

"There was something else Briar said that I didn't want to say in front of the others."

"What?"

"He said that there was someone among them who knew more than they were telling. That one of them was a traitor. I didn't want to say anything in front of Connor or Gunn because -- "

"You think you know who it is?"

Wesley nodded, "I wanted to tell you my suspicions first. Given who I think we may be dealing with. I think it may be -- "

"Buffy," Angel continued, much to Wesley's shock.

"How did you -- ?"

Angel sighed, "I have been suspicious of her after talking with Giles the last few months. She's up to something. What, who knows. I don't want to think it. But there is alot stacked up against her."

"I just want you to know that I don't want to think that its Buffy either."

"That's good to hear, Wes. But we need to find out. One way or the other."

"How?"

"Knock, knock."

The duo turned to see Lorne and tall bald black man with a mustache standing in the doorway.

"Hello Lorne, its good to see you."

"Its good to see you too, how's the gut?"

"Mending."

"Good."

"Its been a long time."

"Too long."

"Look, I hate to break up the reunion," Angel said pointing to the other man with Lorne. "But I think we have some business to attend to."

"Right," Lorne replied. "One son of a Slayer at your service."

Angel looked at Wes' confused face and grinned.

"Wesley Wyndhm-Pryce, meet Robin Wood."


	9. Great Escapes

Chapter 9: Great Escapes

Dawn Summers sat out on the balcony of her motel room looking up at the sky. These were the kinda nights she loved.

Stars were shining. There was not a cloud in the sky. The air was cool without being cold. In all the places that she had been to over the eleven months since the fall of Sunnydale, she like San Fran the best. She wasn't sure what it was, but this place had felt more like home to her than most of the places they had been to. With the exception of the month they spent in Vegas.

Dawn loved their time in Las Vegas. It was the most fun she had ever had in her life. She, Xander and Faith, with a seemingly endless string of cash thanks to an inheritance Anya had left to him, took about the town like they had owned it. Xander told them that Anya had used money that she had stolen from a bank during that whole mess with RJ and invested in the stock market. In the time between then and the fall of Sunnydale, she had gathered a small fortune which she told Xander about shortly before the final battle. She had placed it in an account in Los Angeles, and told Xander that if she did not make it out alive to do with it as he saw fit. It took some convincing after the fall of Sunnydale for Xander to actually touch Anya's money but when he did, he made the most of it.

They stayed in a Terrace Suite at the MGM Grand. It put Xander back $800.00 plus a night but he said that Anya would want them to enjoy themselves. Within a week they had done all the touristy stuff. Wayne Newton, Celine Dion, Cirque du Soliel and just about any other night act you could think of. Xander and Faith spent alot of time together, taking in the sites, or gambling at the tables. Some fun was definitely what they need. Even if for just a few hours Faith could forget that she was a wanted fugitive and Xander could forget he only had one real eye and no home. It made Dawn very happy.

She was never sure, how close they had gotten. Although she knows they were having sex. They would find reasons for Dawn to be elsewhere at a moments notice, or barricade the door when she tried to get in it. One time she had even walked into the hotel room while they were having sex in the shower. However she turned away and walked right back out unnoticed. After they left Vegas, those moments became fewer and then ceased all together. Why it had stopped, she never dare ask. There was a part of Dawn that saw that the two of them were getting closer, and not just in a biblical sense. What could have put a screeching halt to that, she was curious about. She gathered up the nerve to ask Faith once, after the encounter with Pete. All she had told Dawn was that 'sometimes stuff happens' and never bothered to elaborate.

What that 'stuff' was is anyone's guess. All Dawn knew was that there had been a strange awkwardness between the two of them and it continued up to the day Xander vanished. After he was gone, Dawn could notice the fear in Faith. Whatever had happened to nix the blossoming romantic relationship between them didn't take away the fact that they still cared. Dawn was glad that she had Faith to help her thru all of this. Especially since Buffy was with them. There had been times during their trip, when Faith would do or say something comforting to Dawn when it as obvious that she was in pain over Buffy that made things feel not so bad. It was those times that she had wished that Faith was her sister.

The meeting at Denny's didn't really provide any more information than they already knew. Spike's alive. He apparently kidnapped Cordelia, Sam Finn, Kennedy and Xander, for what purpose was still unknown. Andrew was sent to watch them. And Buffy decided to show her face. The only bit of news that had come as a shock to her was the phone call Giles received from Angel informing them that someone tried to kill Wesley. Angel assured them that he was going to make it and that when he regained consciousness, they would try and find out if it was connected to the kidnappings, which it most certainly, Dawn had believed, would be. Giles had said that Robin Wood was sent to rendezvous with Angel in L.A. and that they would make their way to San Francisco as soon as they could.

Dawn had no idea what they were going to do to get Xander back. Nor did anyone else. All this bad stuff had happened and she felt as if it was going to get much worse before it would get better. Faith and Riley had tried to lift her spirits but it wasn't helping. They had no idea what was going on, no clue how to fix it, and no idea if they even could. To make matters worse, her sister, the slut of Sunnyhell, had walked back into her life believing that there was some way for them to reconcile. Dawn wanted to believe her, she really did. However too many times had she opened up her heart, let the hope in, only to have it crushed by a platinum son of a bitch who her sister like to fuck.

Nope. There would be no reunion. Buffy would have to prove to Dawn a hell of a lot before she would even consider letting her in again. What she wanted more than anything was Xander. To hear his voice. His wonderful laugh. To even get a glimpse of him right now would calm the fears in her stomach. She never dare admit this to anyone, not Faith, or Riley, or even to her sister. She had this feeling that they were never going to get Xander back. Either something bad was or had happened. The feeling in the pit of her stomach was too strong for her to ignore. He would either be killed, if he hadn't been already. However all Dawn knew was that he was gone. She couldn't explain it. Couldn't tell you how she knew, she just did.

She sighed and took a look thru the sliding glass doorway to the bed where Faith was sleeping. All she had ever wanted was a real family. However never in her wildest dreams would she think she would get it. Now when she finally had, she was going to lose it. In the few short years that Dawn had been alive, she had experienced many losses. However never before had they been this hardest hit since Joyce passed away. 

Getting up from her chair she turned to walk back inside. She could hear the faint sound of buzzing in the background. As she closed the glass door behind her, Dawn could hear the buzzing again, only, it seemed to be getting louder. She turned to look out the windows and it was then she spotted the projectile heading straight towards her. 

"Faith!" Dawn screamed.

Faith jumped out of bed long enough to see someone crash thru the window and knock Dawn to the ground. She ran to the girl who lay unconscious on the floor. Beside her was a skinny and shaggy haired boy holding his arm to his stomach. It took a minute for Faith to recognize who it was.

"Connor?"

Connor said nothing except stare down at his arm, which for the first time she realized was bleeding profusely.

"What the hell is going on?" she mumbled as Angel, Gunn, Robin and Lorne came busting thru the front door.

"We need to go," Robin said as he bent down and picked up Dawn.

"Go? Why? Where?"

"Its not safe for you to be here Faith," Angel said as he went to help up his injured son. "We have reason to believe that someone's working for the other side."

"Who?"

"We're not sure but until we find out, its not safe for either one of you to be here."

Angel held up Connor's arm and for the first time she had seen it. There was a small hole in his arm, a bullet wound. Without much thought she had connected the dots. 

"Let's motor," she said grabbing only her jacket and a small backpack from the closet.

"Don't worry about your stuff," Gunn said as he opened up huge black suitcases. "I got it."

Angel nodded as Lorne slammed the motel room door and locked it behind him. The demon then walked out onto the balcony and jumped off.

"You don't mind making a jump for it?" Angel asked as he tightened his grip on Connor.

"Nope," Faith said turning to Robin. "Give me Dawn."

"I can handle this."

"I'm much more spry then you are Robin," she protested. "It will be alot easier for me to jump with her."

"For all we know she could be hurt, Robin, let Faith do it," Angel said as he looked at his bleeding son. "You up for this?"

All Connor could do was nod as the two of them made the jump to the street where Lorne was waiting for them in the car. Robin handed Dawn to Faith, who smiled down at the girl.

"It'll be okay kid," she whispered as she kissed Dawn's forehead and jumped off the balcony.

Robin turned to Gunn," You ready?"

Gunn nodded as he shut the last of the suitcases, "Ready."

"Let's go."

Robin could hear the faint sounds of running as he and Gunn made a dash and jumped off the balcony landing with a crunch on the hood of Angel's car. 

Lorne cringed, "That's gotta hurt."

"Company's coming," Gunn stated as he rolled off the hood. "Pop the trunk."

After throwing the suitcases into the trunk Gunn joined Robin sitting on either side between Faith and Dawn. Putting pedal to the medal Lorne sped away. Just as Buffy and Riley had piled into the hotel room.


	10. Bound

Chapter 10: Bound

Dawn had slept thru most of he drive to Los Angeles. 

From what Faith could surmise, she didn't seem to have any visible injuries, however she wouldn't breathe a sigh of relief until she had her checked out. Connor on the other hand wasn't fairing up too well. The bullet went thru one side and out the other, however it was bleeding tremendously. When they had reached the hospital, he was barely conscious as Angel carried him into the emergency room. Dawn had come around by then and thoroughly protested at the suggestion that she get herself checked out. 

While everything was being taken care of Faith found herself walking upstairs to Wesley's room. There she found her former Watcher nose deep into a rather large spined dusty volume written in some demonic language.

Faith chuckled, "You can take The Council away from the Watcher but not the Watcher out of the man."

"Faith," Wesley smiled putting his book down on the small tray table in front of him. "How have you been?"

"Busy," Faith replied sitting in the seat next to his bed. "How about you? You look like shit."

"Yes, well that happens when you lose a spleen. However I'm on the mend."

"I can see that, you have to be if you engrossed in --- " Faith looked down at the book on the tray table. "Demonic Rights Of Egyptian Gods."

"I'm up for a bit of light reading."

"You call this tome light?"

"Compared to what I had to read at The Academy, this is nothing."

"So, Angel said something about a traitor, and a group of evil Watchers behind the kidnappings. Got anything else for me?"

"Nothing more than I can be absolutely certain of at the moment," he admitted reluctantly. "However I just might be onto something."

"What?"

"The scar on Briar's right hand had some kind of decoration, possibly a tattoo. I didn't notice right away with the being stabbed to death but I have had lots of time to think it over."

"And?"

"And, " he said flipping open the large thick book and handing it to Faith. "I believe this to be it."

"This freaky face thing."

"That freaky face thing is known as the Eye of Ra, its a physical representation of the Egyptian sun god."

"And this has to do with Xander and the others how?"

"I am not sure yet, however from what I read, the symbol was often worn by an elite group of temple scribes in Ancient Egypt."

"How elite?"

"Well according to the text they were in charge of the writing of the _Reu Nu Pert Em Hru _or better known as The Book of The Dead. Its a collection of Egyptian spells and potions all dealing with death and the afterlife."

"So you think this book is what Briar and The Order are after?"

"I'm not certain but its a start. Anthony Briar, Jaxon's father, was big into Egyptian mysticism. Considered one of The Council's leading experts. If anyone would know where to acquire the book, he would."

"So I'm guessing that someone got to it first. Someone in the Scooby corps."

"Precisely Faith," Wes said as he grunted from a sharp stab of pain in his abdomen.

"Are you okay?" A concerned Faith murmured as she moved closer to Wesley.

"Yeah, just a bit sore still."

Faith nodded, not sure if she really bought what Wesley had just told her. She had made a mental note to talk to Angel about it later. Turning herself back to the their conversation, she asked what had been weighing heavily on her mind.

"What I don't get is if the Briar guy knows who took his book, then why would he kidnap all of them?"

"I have been mulling over that as well. I suspect whomever it is that has the book is in a position where Jaxon cannot reach them. By taking someone from all of us, he is creating the advantage that disarray would erupt between us and we would make it much easier for them to make his move."

Dawn Summers stood in the doorway to Wesley's room. Stifling a sob she turned and ran smack into Angel.

"Hey Dawn, how are you feeling?"

Unable to answer, Dawn just stood there. Immediately, Angel could see she was distressed.

"What's wrong?"

Dawn looked at Angel as if she was about to answer before she went barreling down the hallway.

"What was that?" he announced walking into Wesley's room.

"What was what?"

"Dawn. She was standing outside of Wes' room and she looked upset."

"Did she tell you why?" A concerned Faith said getting up from her chair.

"Nope, she just went flying down the hallway."

"I'll talk to you later Wes," Faith replied not being able to get out of the room fast enough.

Dawn Summers was running. Despite the fact that she had a slight concussion and felt a little on the woozy side while she was doing it, she ran. Things had went from bad to worse and it didn't seem like it was going to get any better. She needed to leave, it was all beginning to be too much. She could handle that Xander had been kidnapped by a nefarious evil group. She couldn't handle that someone she knew may have been responsible for it. Upset, she didn't notice Lorne and Gunn calling her name, and especially didn't notice Connor, whose arm was bandaged and slinged up. That is, until she ran right into him. With a loud smack they made contact and fell to the ground.

"I don't believe we've met," he grunted at the strange girl who lay on top of him.

Dawn smiled slightly. Things definitely couldn't get any worse than this.

It was dark. And cold. And wet. Surprising since they were indoors. From the slits in the walls they could see them walking. Tall men and women in black robes, large hoods concealing their faces. Shadows slinking about in the hallways like evil spirits waiting to devour you when you least expected it.

Xander Harris knew help would come. Sadly, however, he didn't think they could wait.

Huddled together with his three female companions he looked to see if any of the shadow figures where nearby before he spoke.

"I have a plan."


	11. First Steps

Chapter 11: First Steps

"You have a plan?" Cordelia Chase asked as she shivered off her chills. "When did you come up with a plan? Between the time you were unconscious for two days or the two days you spent huddle in the corner like a girly man lamenting about our impending doom?"

"Well its good to see the coma re-installed the bitch in you Cordy. I was beginning to think you've gone all soft on us."

"Who the hell are you calling a bitch, One-Eyed Harris!"

"Hey!" Xander protested. "A prosthetic eye still counts as an eye Ms. I-Got-It-On-With-My-Boyfriends-Son."

Sam Finn gave the quarreling ex-lovers a quizzical look before turning to whisper to Kennedy.

"Are they always like this?"

"How should I know," she responded. "I met Xander last year and all I know about _her _is that she doesn't know how to shut her mouth."

"Excuse me, little Miss 'I exist as Willow's arm piece and occasionally kick demon ass just to prove that I have more value than a bed pillow' who the hell are you to talk?"

"Well at least I am not interrupting Xander while he may have the means to get us out of here."

Cordelia launched herself at Kennedy but before she could make contact, Xander moved in between them.

"Ladies, we're in enough trouble as it is, lets not add to it by killing each other, huh?"

After a moment, the two seemed to calm down as Xander began to pace.

"Now if we are all settled, I would like to reiterate my statement. I have a plan."

"How's your head?" Connor asked as he sat down on the chair in the waiting area.

"Better," Dawn whispered as she held the ice pack to the throbbing nod on her forehead. "The forehead, at least. Ego, not doing so good."

"Well if it helps any, you didn't hurt me all that much."

Without thinking Dawn smacked Connor upside the head.

"Ow," he replied. "What was that for?"

"You're not supposed to blame me. You're supposed to say that it wasn't my fault and I shouldn't be beating myself up for it."

"I should?"

"Yes. That's the whole point of me mentioning it. For you to comfort me."

"To my defense I may look nineteen but I'm technically three."

Dawn laughed, "Ain't gonna work with me. I may look seventeen but I am actually four."

"Son of two vampires, kidnapped to a hell dimension. What's yours?"

"Once a powerful mystical energy molded into human form."

Connor was impressed, "And I thought my life was screwed up."

"Oh, no. Trust me. My life is way more messed up than yours."

"No way. No one's life is more messed up than mine."

"Really?" Dawn dared. "Then prove it."

"Xander, that has to be, without a doubt, the stupidest plan I have ever heard."

"Yeah, well Queen C, I don't see you coming up with anything better.

"Well right now, sitting tight and waiting to be rescued sounds like a good plan."

Xander couldn't believe his ears.

"The Cordelia Chase that I knew would never sit around and wait for someone to rescue her. At least not the one who fought side by side with Angel all the years. Whatever happened to that champion"

"Champion?" Cordelia laughed. "I was _never_ a champion Xander. It turns out that all The Powers That Be wanted me for was to be a breeding mare. Cause nothing says hero like fucking your boyfriends son. He was like _my _son Xander. I loved him like my own child and they destroyed that all for their own purposes. Doyle died to give me those visions. And for what? So that I could get mind splitting headaches and nearly die so that I have no choice but to become a demon. So that I could act as an incubator for some higher being who wanted to create world peace by making us all into shiny happy people? Yeah, Xander, I am really up for the fighting the good fight. Don't you get it? There is no good fight. There is no choice. Whether or not we escape has nothing to do with saving our lives. If we are going to die, then we will, we have no choice. We are all just chess pieces on some higher being's board being moved around to where they want us to be."

For a few moments no one said anything. It was true that Cordelia had been thru alot these past few years, but then again, so did they all.

"Cordelia," Xander whispered as he placed both arms comfortingly on her shoulders. "I know you've been thru alot a shit in a short amount of time. Trust me, no one can understand that more than _me._ And there will be a time and a place to vent and bitch and cry til your face turns blue. But -- not. Right. Now. They are going to kill us. We know that. Long before they get what they want from the others. And whether or not I am destined to die, I would go a helluva lot better if I did something. If I fought back. Then I would just sitting on my ass waiting to be executed. And, you know what, so would you. So, as harsh as this may sound, swallow whatever shit you're carrying and fight back. Cause this won't work unless we are all on board. I need you on board."

Cordelia said nothing. Trying to hold back her tears she simply smiled. Xander always had a way to make her see things more clearly in times of crisis.

"Now, its time to get this thing started."

As Xander headed towards the locked door of their prison, he whispered, "God help us, we're going to need it."


	12. Logan

**Chapter 12: Logan**

Faith paced about outside the waiting room. Gunn and Lorne had told her that Dawn and Connor were doing the bonding thing and to give them some time, but she didn't have that. She knew that Dawn had overheard her conversations with Wesley and that it was important she explain it to her. Before Faith would have been rather blunt with Dawn and told her to suck it up. She couldn't now. She found the soft spot for her surrogate sis to be ever growing. Waking up something in her she didn't think was there.

  
If you had told her this time last year, she would be as close to Dawn as she is now, she would have never believed it. She couldn't imagine opening herself up like that. Past experience had taught her that was the way for the big pain. It was different with Dawn though. She was the type of person that was easy to love.

  
"Faith?"

  
Faith turned to see Angel standing behind her.

  
"Can I see you a minute?"

  
"Sure," she whispered taking one more look at Dawn before joining Angel in Wesley's room.

  
"And then, Ms. Matheson started doing this rap about fractions and the rest of the class contributed the latest hip-hop moves and I can't even dance" Dawn's voiced echoed from the other room. 

  
"So it sounds to me like you've had a pretty exciting few years," Connor said causing Dawn to smile.

  
"It has been rather amazing and it hasn't. Good times and bad. Finding out I wasn't really Buffy's sister, not a good. Having Buffy die, not a good. Buffy sleeping with Spike, definitely not a good. However I have come to realize that for every bad thing that happens in life, something good comes along with it. I mean, Sunnydale got destroyed and Buffy bailed but in return I got Xander, Faith and eleven of the most memorable months of my life."

  
"So in all of your travels, where was the best place you've been to?"

  
"Well, San Fran is looking mighty fine. However I think I would have to go with Vegas. If we hadn't have gone there, I would have never spent the last eleven months on the run like this."

  
"Why did you go on the run? I mean, you had the free pass, not to mention the cash, to high tale it out of slayville and start over. But not only did you continue slaying, you stayed in the states, despite the fact that Faith was fugitive. I guess, I just don't understand why you would stay when you had every opportunity to leave?"

  
"We weren't planning on it," she admitted. "Back then we really weren't planning beyond the day. We didn't unpack. We were ready to get up and bail if need be. When we first got to Vegas it was like we had just fallen off the edge of the Earth. Its everything you have been told it is and then some. For the right amount of cash, you can make yourself invisible and still walk around the town. That's what we did. The three of us lived like kings. The best hotel, the best food, the VIP treatment at every show, concert and freak event they had a chance to throw at us. It was the most amazing time of my life."

  
"So what changed?"

  
"His name was Logan. He was in his twenties and worked as a greeter at the Grand where we were staying. I would hang out with him and talk about stuff. Anything really, mostly stupid stuff, while Xander and Faith would need me gone a few hours. If he weren't way older than me, it would have been something. It might of one day. If. . "

  
Connor could see that Dawn had become overwhelmed by sadness.

  
"How did he die?" Connor asked as Dawn looked suddenly aback by his ability to tell what she was about to say. 

  
"How did you know?"

  
"By the way you talked about it. There was a sense of longing. I could tell that he had died. So, how did it happen?"

  
Dawn slightly sobbed. Connor could tell that she was upset. He immediately felt horrible.

  
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be so insensitive."

  
"Its okay," she said holding back tears. "I want you to know."

  
"How did Logan die?"

"We had been there almost three months before we realized there was trouble. Then one day Faith noticed that this girl she always talked to, one of the blackjack dealers, went missing. Faith talked around, learned she worked as a prostitute on the side. The more she investigated, the more she learned about this chaos demon that had killed Lorna, that was her name, and others of her kind in order to guarantee good business. We staked out the casino he was working out of. Something went wrong and we were being chased by these guys with guns. Faith was a fugitive so we didn't want to draw attention. We had just gotten back to the hotel when Logan was getting off his shift. One of the guys had stopped and aimed for me. Logan saw it and he pushed me to the ground. Kinda like what you did tonight. Took a bullet to the heart. He died instantly."

"And ever since then you have been traveling all over fighting the forces of darkness."

"Logan's death was unnecessary. He died to save me. Yet another casualty in a pointless war. I know for me, I couldn't just stand around and let his death mean nothing."

Connor said nothing. Dawn was beginning to think that she had rambled on to much when he surprisingly smiled softly at her.

"I think what your doing is really noble."

"Really?"

"Yeah, I mean, your taking something that obviously hurt you deeply and turning it into something positive. That was really brave."

Dawn moved closer to Connor. "One can say the same for you."

"Me? I'm not like you. I've done things. Bad things. Things so horrible that it was seen to that I would never remember them. How can I make up for something that I can't even remember that I have done?"

"Have you even tried?"

"Well not really," Connor admitted. "I've been trying to come to grips with it all."

"Which translates to you've spent a majority of your time brooding and feeling sorry for yourself. Buffy said Angel was the same way. All he did was sit around and mope for the three years he was in Sunnydale."

"I am not moping!"

"Then prove it. Go out and do what Angel did. You may never be able to make up for what you've done wrong, but after a while it won't be so bad."

"How do _you_ know so much about redemption?"

"From Faith. I've seen her work to make herself a better person. I've seen how hard it is. But I have also seen how you can be better off for it. All you have to do is try."

"Well, you two look like you're having a blast," Faith said as she plopped down next to Connor and Dawn. "Whatcha doing?"

"Trying to distinguish which one of us is more screwed up," Dawn said trying to hide what she was really talking about.

"So who winning?" Faith asked seeing thru the lie but trying not to show it.

"Well right now its a tie. Connor was in the lead with the whole fathering a higher power. However, we tied it up with the whole my sister abandoned me for the undead sycophant that tried to rape her."

"Well, I hate to break up the party but Wes wants to talk to all of us," Faith said taking a conscious look at Dawn. "He says there are some things that we need to clear up."

Dawn swallowed, "Sure, we'll be right there."

"Good."

With an awkward nod, Faith got off the couch. Despite how she felt towards Buffy, the last thing that she wanted right now was for Angel to be right. Dawn had been thru allot over the last year, much of which had been caused by Buffy. If she did turn out to be the traitor, then she didn't know if Dawn would ever forgive her.


	13. River of Death

**Chapter 13: River of Death**

Taking a deep breath Xander knocked on the cell door.

"Hey!" he yelled. "Hey, I need some help in here!"

After a few minutes with no answer, Xander could hear the hurried footsteps approaching their door.

"Okay, Cordy," he whispered. "You're on."

"Tell me again why it has to be me?"

"Because its statistically proven that in times of escape the bad guys will always fall for the big-breasted-woman-in-distress routine."

Cordy fumed, "If we weren't in dire peril Xander Harris, I would so kick your ass."

"We really don't have time for this Cor."

"Fine," she huffed as she collapsed to the floor gasping for air.

Seconds later, four hooded figures barged into the room. When they were sufficiently inside, Xander slammed the door behind them. As they turned around two were immediately disabled by the well placed punches of Sam and Kennedy, who has positioned themselves on either side of the doorway. Cordelia had stopped feigning suffocation long enough to kick the figure who had bent down beside her in his sensitive area. She looked up to see Xander giving the final figure some very well placed punches to the stomach. Pulling herself to her feet, Cordelia looked around at the disabled figures with a sense of amazement.

"I can't believe that worked."

"What, you didn't think it would?" Xander stared trying to regain his breath.

"Well I have to admit Xander, when you said, 'Cordelia will pretend to choke, the bad guys will rush in and we will all knock them out and take their robes.' I wasn't thinking brilliant escape plan," admitted Kennedy who, along with Sam, was busy disrobing their recent victims.

"Well Kennedy, sometimes the simplest plan is the best plan."

"You had no idea it would work, did you?" Cordelia asked as she slipped the robe on over her clothes.

"None whatsoever."

"So what now?"

"Now we motor," Xander said as he pulled up his hood and opened up the door.

As they entered the hallway, they were hit with the familiar and vile stench of blood. It reeked from the corridors beneath them. Along with it was the also unmistakable smell of rotting flesh. 

"Eight years with the Slayer and I still can't get used to that," Xander swallowed as they made their way along the dark corridor.

"Look," Kennedy said pointing ahead of them. "There's a light."

"Then lets motor."

As they approached the light at the end of the long tunnel they soon found that they unmistakable stench was ever more prevalent. The corridor soon unfolded into a scaffolding in what appeared to be a large factory.

"What the hell is this place?"

"It looks like a factory Cordy."

Cordelia hit Xander in his arm, "Of course its a factory dumb ass, the question I was asking is what is this a factory of?"

"Well then why didn't you just say what kind of factory is this?"

"Guys," Sam interrupted. "Something's happening."

Xander, Cordelia and Kennedy leaned over the railing of the catwalk, their eyes glued to a rather curious thing. On a granite slab beneath them was a body wrapped in bandages, covered in ornate jewelry.

"That looks like a mummy."

"Newsflash Cor, that _is _a mummy."

Ok, now I'm confused. What the hell do all of us have to do with a bunch of hooded guys, in some factory, with a mummy?"

"This is what we know," Wesley stated as he took a look around at his seated companions. "They were known as The Order of Amon-Re, an ancient order of Dynastic Egyptian priests who specialized in the preparation of the dead for its travel into the afterlife."

"So what does this have to do with what happened to Xander and the others?" Dawn asked as she fidgeted in her seat.

****

Wesley opened up the large spined book and began to pass it around. "From what our records show, they began to die out along the time of the Roman Empire. It took thousands of years for the teachings of The Order to resurface and when they did, they became a more sinister component. The teachers of The Order were adopted by a group of Watchers who had become disenchanted with their callings. They believed that The Slayer would one day be the undoing of The Council. They believed that the fight against the forces of evil was futile and that they would be better off embracing it. The practices of the Amon-Re were some of the darkest ever conceived. The Egyptian culture was one that focused on darkness and death. Especially the concept of resurrection."

"None of this is making any sense," Kennedy whispered as they made their way down the catwalk. "What the hell is going on here?"

"Wait," Xander said making an abrupt stop and pointed up a few yards ahead. "Over there."

A large circular pool was stirring beneath them. The stench of the rotting flesh and dried blood was emanating from its black waters. The sound of muted wailing also seemed to be filling the room.

"What is that?"

"Its a portal Cordelia," Xander sighed.

"A portal to what?" Kennedy asked looking even more confused than she did before.

"The River of The Dead."

"What's The River of The Dead?"

"Its the river at which the Egyptians believed one traveled in order to reach the afterlife," Wesley said. "One traveled the river in order to reach the Hall of Judgment where one's soul was weighed and sent to its final destination. The length that one spent on the river depended on their status and their method of death. It was said that a person could access the river by means of a portal that connected this world to the next."

"What does this have to do with Xander and the others?"

"I am not certain, but Angel and I will be heading to London tonight to talk to Anthony Briar. As we have said he is one of the leading experts in Egyptian lore. He may be able to shed some more light on what Jaxon may be up to. I only hope that we can figure it out before its too late."

Xander, Cordelia, Kennedy and Sam were so enamored at the site below them that they didn't even notice that there were people behind them. That is until until an eerily voice came in behind them.

"Well look who we have here," Spike said with an air of glee.

Stunned the four turned around swiftly. Sam, who had been leaning over the railing the most, lost her balance and fell off the railing. 

"Sam!" Xander screamed as she slipped off and fell into the putrid pool below.

The three stood shocked as she bobbed in and out of the water struggling amidst the harsh current. Kennedy was the first to act as she reached over the railing preparing to jump in after her. However she found herself being pulled back onto the catwalk.

"Stop," Xander told her. "You can't help her."

"She's drowning!"

"She's gone Kennedy! She fell into the portal. Anyone whose living that falls into that thing is good as dead."

Kennedy looked into Xander's eyes. She could see the tears that were forming and knew what he said was the truth. With a heavy heart she looked back down at Sam. Her struggles ceasing until finally her head crested and fell beneath the water.

Samantha Finn was dead. 


	14. The Most Unlikely Traitor

**Chapter 14: The Most Unlikely Traitor**

Buffy turned the ignition of the car to hear the horrible, no good, very bad grinding sound. 

"Dammit!" she screamed as she began to pound on the steering wheel.

"Buffy, I know your worried about Faith and Dawn, we all are. However taking it out on our only mode of transportation will not help us find them," Giles murmured as he tucked his head thru the driver's side window.

"You're not helping Giles."

"No, I really don't think I am, but then again, neither are any of us."

Buffy sighed. Giles was right. Faith and Dawn had been missing for almost seventy two hours. Riley caught a glimpse of a car that Buffy believed had belonged to Angel speeding away from the scene. She couldn't understand why Angel would have taken them, and in the manner which they did was very unlike him. None of this made any sense to her. None whatsoever.

"This is so unreal," she sighed letting her forehead fall onto the steering wheel.

"I would have to agree."

"Alot of people are missing Giles," Buffy replied looking up at him with resolve face. "We don't know the first thing about what's going on and I can't help but shake the feeling that its going to get worse."

Riley Finn stood in front of the soda machine. His mind millions of miles away. With all the drama that was going down, most of which was personal, he couldn't keep his mind off of Sam. She was the one person in the world who could calm his nerves. Who could get the butterflies out of his stomach and make him think that everything would be okay. The more time went on the more Riley was overcome with the nagging feeling it wasn't going to be. That nothing was ever going to be the same. Riley hit the machine in frustration sending several cans to burst out the bottom and break open on the sidewalk.

"Dammit!" he exclaimed as he bent down to pick up the cans.

"You need any help with that?" a familiar voice asked from behind.

Riley stopped cold. He shook his head.

"Sam?"

Samantha Finn stood opposite of her husband. Her long brown hair flowed down her shoulders. An eerie smile across her face. Overcome Riley ran to her, throwing his arms around her. 

"I can't believe this."

"Neither can I Ry," Samantha soothed as she stroked the back of her husbands head.

"God, I missed you."

"So did I sweetheart."

"But how? What happened? Where are the others?"

"There will be a time for that. All that matters is that we are here. Together."

Sam closed her eyes tightening her hold on him.

"That's all that matters," Riley whispered holding onto his wife.

"Riley!" Buffy called in the distance. "We got the car running."

With a wild snap Samantha Finn's eyes opened. 

They were jet black.

***

_London_

Wesley Wyndhm-Pryce sat quietly in the ornately Baroque styled den of Anthony Briar, Watcher Emeritus of The Watchers Council of Britain. As a boy he and his sister would spend time at the Briar's while their parents would cater themselves in a lengthy discussion on demonic lore. He hated having to spend time with Jaxon. He was haughty and arrogant. Always so sure of himself. It was this brashness that got him into trouble back at The Watchers Academy.

He was never fond of any of the other Watcher families to be honest. They all seemed pretty much the same. He had assumed that thousands of years of traditions would do that to a society. However out of the lot he found The Briar's to be the worse. It was if they had stepped out of the fourteenth century with their backwards belief systems. The only decent one of the lot was Jaxon's younger brother, who like Wesley, never really wanted to be a Watcher, but entered into tradition in the hopes of gaining the one thing he never had: his father's approval. 

"Its good to see you in this house again, young Wesley," said a tall stern looking man with thinning brown hair and a thin British accent. "However I must say that you are far from young."

Wesley smiled politely, "Its good to see you as well Mister Briar. How is your wife?"

"Dead," Mr. Briar said without emotion.

"I'm dreadfully sorry."

"I'm not. The old bird had been a pain in my arse for the last decade. There was never a happier day in my life then when that building blew up with her inside. However, it was sad that all of those young Watchers had to die along with her."

Wesley cleared his throat uncomfortably. Mr. Briar was always one for stark honesty. It had been so long since the two had crossed paths, he had almost forgotten that.

"So Wesley," Mr. Briar replied taking a seat in the leather chair on the opposite side of the room. "To what do I owe this visit? I suspect that it will not be a pleasant one."

"I'm afraid you're correct. I have reason to believe that Jaxon has taken up with The Order."

Mr. Briar hesitated momentarily, as if thinking about what he was going to say, before replying matter-of-factly.

"And I have cause to inform you that you are correct about my son."

"How long?"

"A year to be exact. However I began to notice a change in him after the death of his mother. He was always closer to her than he was to me. After the accident that stole his ability to be a field Watcher and the role it played in his brother's leave from this household, I was very hard on him. I will admit now, maybe too hard. It caused a wedge between us. I'm afraid, a permanent one."

"Why not?"

"Because my youngest son is dead. My son cannot accept that. He will every and anything in his power to alleviate the guilt that is coursing in his mind. Even if he has to raise open the gates of hell."

* * * 

With a swift motion Xander turned and launched himself at Spike. The two landed with an alarming thud against the wall leading into the hallway.

"You son of a bitch!" he screamed as his fist made contact with Spike's jaw.

"Temper, temper now carpenter. Wouldn't want to disturb the locals. Their not exactly the understanding type. More like bloody guts, and dead pools for all of those who come across their way."

"How did you come back?" Xander asked furiously. 

"Yeah," Cordelia interject. "I thought you were a Hellmouth fried vampire. What gives?"

"I thought I was too. Then the next thing you know, I wake up covered in bandages and undead again."

"Why?"

"To bring you to them, Cordelia."

Xander tightened his grip on Spike.

"And I'm supposed to believe that's it?!"

"You don't have to believe it Xander because whether or not you want to live in denial, its the only reason. They said if I brought you all here then they would pay me generously."

"Sam is dead, and for what, so you could buy yourself a mansion with no windows and an endless supply of innocent human beings to eat?"

Kennedy took a step closer to Spike, a murderous look in her eyes.

"Hey, Slayer, don't take it out on me just because your all guilty cause you couldn't save her."

Kennedy backed off. It was obvious that his words hit close to home. She was a Slayer. She was supposed to save people. When the moment came for her to do that, she couldn't.

"Besides, I ain't get paid in money. I'm getting paid in something much more valuable."

"And what would that be?"

"Life, Cordelia. You see these boys are going to bring back the dead. The Egyptians were big on death and resurrection. And in order to do that they needed two things. Blood of an innocent soul and The Book of The Dead."

"Book of The Dead?" Xander asked, a stark and terrifying reality settling over him.

Spike gave a wicked grin as Xander let him go. He laughed as he noticed the boy turning an unhealthy shade of white.

"Xander, what's wrong?" Cordelia asked concerned. "You look like your about to pass out."

Spike began to laugh.

"What's so funny?"

"What's so funny Kennedy is that Xander here has finally realized what this is all about. Why you're here."

"Xander?"

Cordelia looked at Xander but he was unable to answer. His eyes a million miles away. A haughty laugh could be heard from behind them. Jaxon Briar stood there dressed in his black hooded cape and an evil grin on his face. 

"I'll take it from here," he said walking towards them.

"All those months on the road," he continued. "Not knowing what would happen or where you would be from one day to the next. Then finally you find someplace that you could relax. Unwind. Have yourself a good time. But you never did. Not like you did there. You never could. Then it all had to go and be ruined. Someone had to die. An innocent who did nothing but be at the wrong place at the wrong time. An innocent who would still have been alive if you hadn't have been poking around where your nose didn't belong. If you and Buffy hadn't had taken something that didn't belong to you."

"Xander, what is he talking about?"

"You see, Cordelia, Xander is the reason that all of this happened. He and Buffy stole something that didn't belong to them. They set in motion a chain of events that killed an innocent person. A person who was smart. Clever. Whose only crime was caring about a ridiculous little American girl who was not worth his life. My brother's life."

Jaxon stood face to face in front of Xander. The anger seethed through his eyes.

"You killed my brother, you killed Logan. And for what? So you and Buffy could remove another dangerous artifact from the world? Or at least that was her intentions. What were yours? You told her that you destroyed it. But you didn't. Did you? No, you kept it. You lied to your friends. Broken her trust and now . . . Now, it has come to bite you in arse."

"Xander, what the hell is going on?!"

"Simple Miss Chase. Xander here is a traitor."


	15. Doom & Gloom & Dark Slayers

**Chapter 15: Doom & Gloom & Dark Slayers**

"Xander what the HELL is going on?" Cordelia demanded not wanting to believe what she had just heard.

Xander swallowed hard. Out of all the things that he had done in his life that he wished he could have taken back. This was at the top of the list.

"Its not what you think," he whispered softly trying to hide the defeat in his voice.

"Then what is it, Xander?"

Xander turned to face his friends, guilt etched into his features.

"About two weeks after we came to Vegas, I was visited by Buffy. Said that she got some intel about a book of unbelievable power that was coming into the Vegas area. That this artifact was pretty lethal in the wrong hands. Faith and Dawn were having such a great time. For the first time they had forgotten all of their problems I didn't want to take that away from them. So I agreed to help Buffy alone. She said that it was called The Book of The Dead and that the Ancient Egyptians used it for their burial ceremonies. That it was a vestige of powerful magicks. That it was said to have the ability to raise the dead. She asked me to help her steal the book before it reached its destination."

"So that's what you wanted the book for," Cordelia said taking a good, deep look into Xander's eyes. "You wanted to bring them back. Anya . . . your parents . . . all of them."

Xander looked at Cordelia with exasperation, "I thought about it. I won't lie and say it didn't cross my mind but my year on the run has given me some perspective. I didn't keep the book to use it, I couldn't even get it open."

"Then why did you keep it?"

"Because no matter how hard I tried the thing couldn't be destroyed. I tried everything. Until finally I decided that the best thing was to hide it and forget about it. Obviously I didn't do it good enough. Otherwise we wouldn't be here and Sam wouldn't be dead. This is all my fault."

"Xander," Cordelia whispered as she moved closer to him. "This is not your fault."

"How could it not be? Sam is dead, and why? Because I was an idiot and contemplated rising the dead. If I had been honest with Buffy and destroyed it when she was in town, then I would have known that it was indestructible and she could have taken it back to find a way to get rid of it. But I didn't. I didn't want her to know that I was thinking about using it. Things had been so strained between all of us that I was desperate to hang on to any shred of friendship, any morsel of good will that was thrown my way. How pathetic is that?"

"That's not pathetic. That's a man who cares about his friends. Whose broken up over their lack of sympathy towards each other and knows that its beyond his power to change it. Things have been bad, for all of us, but didn't you just tell me not to cut myself so short. So why are you doing the same to yourself."

"God that makes me want to hurl."

"Shut up, Spike," Cordelia snapped giving Spike the evil eye as the platinum vampire backed away.

"Don't give up now. It was you that helped us escape. It was you that kept us going. Its you that we need to help us out of here. Right, Kennedy?"

Kennedy did not reply. She only stood there. Arms crossed. Vile look upon her face. All she did was clap.

"Brava. That was very touching. And for a minute there, I almost bought it."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm afraid you're not going anywhere," she smiled as members of The Order emerged from behind her.

"Kennedy?" Cordelia said looking at the girl with wild eyes. "What the hell is going on?"

"Spike isn't the only one with something to gain by your deaths."

Xander looked at the young Slayer in disgust, "You're working with them?"

"Have been from the start. Think about it? Why would they take me? What purpose do I serve in this little plot? Xander to get to Faith. Sammie unfortunately was never a target. She merely spotted Spike and he snatched her."

"But why?"

"I am tired of people dictating my future to me. I decided to create one for myself."

"Willow won't be able to forgive you."

"Yes, she will. I know her better than you do Xander, at least now. She won't be able to resist the power we will offer her, none of them will."

"You took me to lure Faith," Xander said looking directly at Jaxon. "But you also took me to avenge Logan. Then why is Cordelia here?"

"Yeah, why am I here?"

"Your abduction, Ms. Chase," Jaxon said with a benevolent smile as he pulled a knife from between his robes. "Helped me to make contact with an old friend. Now, before I have my boys here start cutting you up, piece by piece, would you be so kinda as to tell me the location of the book?"

"And if we don't?"

"And if you don't Mr. Harris," Jaxon said nodding.

Xander could hear a faint buzz thru the air that was only interrupted by Cordelia's drawled yelp and her subsequent crumple to the floor.

"Cordelia!" Xander screamed as he caught her in his arms.

"A lethal poison flows thru her veins. It will kill her in a matter of minutes. That is, unless you can tell me the location of the book."

Xander sobbed., "Vegas. Its in a safety deposit box in Las Vegas."

Jaxon thru Xander a vile which he caught and poured into Cordelia's mouth. Seconds later, the young woman began to cough. Color returned to her cheeks.

"Xander?"

"Oh, thank god," he breathed as he pulled Cordelia closer.

Things were bad. And they were only going to get worse. Xander couldn't fathom all the pain and destruction. All he could think about was that this was all his fault.

_London_

Wesley sat at the end of a long end table as Mr. Briar began to fill him in on the details of his son's machinations. 

"About a year ago some archaeologist from The Oriental Institute in Chicago were at a dig in Cairo. They discovered artifacts from what they believed was Heliopolis. It was the epicenter of the Egyptian god Ra, and home to The Order of Amon-Re, a dynastic cult of priests whose power was so significant that they sat at the right hand of generations of Pharaohs. For countless centuries their power reigned free over the greatest empire in the world. The wielded the most purest of magicks. One's that could even resurrect the dead. But, this you already know. For it was Egyptian magick of Osiris that brought Buffy back to life. The team in Cairo discovered what was believed to have been an underground tomb housing many relics that originated in Heliopolis. Many were insignificant however there was a chest belonging to Senefera, one of the most celebrated priestesses of Amon-Re. Said to be the handmaiden of the goddess Hathor, Senefera lead The Order to its golden age. "

"_The_ Senefera?"

Mr. Briar nodded as he walked towards an ornately packed bookshelf.

"Senefera, the Dark Slayer, one of the most powerful witches in the Egyptian Empire," Mr. Briar said as he pulled a dusty old book off of a shelf and handed it to Wesley.

"I thought she was just a myth."

Mr. Briar chuckled, "You should know by now, dear Wesley, that all myths have a center of reality to them."

"So the stories, about Senefera's fall to darkness . . . those are true as well?"

"I'm afraid so," Mr. Briar sighed taking a seat in his large chair beside the mantelpiece. "The power of the Slayer is rooted in darkness. A demon soul embodied into that of a young, innocent girl. For centuries, the Watchers, descendants of the Shadow Men who first implanted the beast, have kept a close watch on the girls."

"Except Senefera."

"Yes. Senefera got in touch with the demon within. Thru it she was able to wield unimaginable powers. She wrote spells of so black that even the darkest of sorcerers were afraid of her. As priestess of Amon-Re she held influence over the most powerful dynastic cult in history. Into the Book of The Dead she poured spells that could resurrect the dead, even those who died of natural death. Thankfully however, she was stopped before she could inflate her ultimate agenda. Creating an army, whose darkness would spread across the earth, and The Order of Amon-Re would rule as its gods."

"But her Watcher, knowing that she had to be stopped banded together with some of the other priests and had her killed. They formed The Watchers Council, to ensure that a Slayer would never come close to that kind of power again," Wesley said as he began to flip thru the book. "Or so the legend goes."

"They did their best to destroy any and all reference to Senefera from antiquity. Even re-writing The Book of The Dead to exclude the chapters added by Senefera. All of the other copies were destroyed. All that is, but one. A priest, loyal to Senefera, escaped with her master book, the only remaining copy written in Senefera's hand. It was found by a Watcher in Heliopolis. He attempted to destroy it. However it would not be destroyed. Others attempted to but the book could not be desecrated. It took them a while to understand. However, it seemed that Senefera was a powerful sorceress indeed. Fearing she would be killed Senefera tied her spirit to her master copy. Where it would live forever until the day came when her successor would open it again."

"And what was said to happen it was opened."

"It was said, that when the book was opened, a Slayer would know her true power."

"The demonic power that Senefera tapped into."

"Yes. She made it that only her heir, a Slayer who has touched darkness, could open the book and release its power."

"Faith," Wesley said taking a seat across from Mr. Briar, the realization finally hitting him. "That is why Jaxon kidnapped them. To lure Faith into opening the book and to release Senefera's power to her."

"Not just to her Wesley. No, you see, The Order went to great lengths to ensure that they would be able to bring about another a new golden age. The fall of the Hellmouth and the fall of Jasmine, those were carefully planned and executed. Small steps leading to a final conclusion. Senefera's magic was to awaken a Slayer to her dark powers. And now thanks to Buffy Summers and her idiotic friends there is a whole world filled with Slayers. An army, ready and waiting to be plucked."

"Dear god . . . "

"If that book were to open Wesley, this world will literally be a hell on Earth. And with The Council gone, there is no one around to stop it."

"There has to be a way."

"There is . . but you will not like it."

"What is it?"

"Under no circumstances is that book to be opened. And there is only one person who can do that. If it comes to it Wesley. You must kill Faith."


	16. So Its Not Buffy

**Chapter 16: So Its Not Buffy**

"Kill me?!" Faith exclaimed as she sat in the back of Angel's car, her feet out the window and a cellular phone in her hand.

"That's what Wesley said," Angel grumbled on the other end. "From what he could get from Anthony Briar, The Order wants to harness the demonic power that Senefera was able to tap into to control The Slayers." 

"Yeah, and thanks to Buffy, they will have an entire army of demonic slayers to do their bidding."

"To be fair Faith, this isn't all her fault."

Faith couldn't believe her ears, "What? Of course its her fault, it was her stupid idea to activate all the Slayers."

"And the last time I checked, you didn't stop her. You didn't argue. And you did stop the world from being overrun by primordial vampires."

"True."

"And we were the ones that stopped Jasmine. If what Lilah said was true, we averted peace on Earth. So as far as I am concerned, we all messed up."

"Why all of a sudden are you sticking up for her?"

"Because right now, we need to stick together."

"What about the traitor? Last time I checked, Buffy was our number one suspect."

"Yeah, and Briar turns out to be the one behind it all. That means we should just take his word for it."

"Have I ever told you that you do sarcasm well?" Faith teased.

"Ha, ha. The point is, I think Briar planted that whole traitor among us idea in our heads to get us to turn on each other."

"Or turn on Buffy."

"My point exactly. We are at a tactical disadvantage because Briar has used our preoccupation with the apocalypse to arrange the pieces how he sees fit. He's two steps ahead of us, we need to catch up. Now, from what Anthony told us, we have their general plan. The Order wants to open the Book of The Dead and release the power of Senefera onto the legions of young Slayers that have been inadvertently called."

"So there's no traitor?"

"No, there is a traitor, just not among us. That was the part to throw us off, _among us_. There is a traitor."

"Who?"

"Take a minute to think about it. There is just one thing that we're missing from all of this."

"What?"

"Xander, Sam Finn, Cordelia and Kennedy were all kidnapped. Now Xander I can understand. Briar must have known you were on the run. Wanted to use him as leverage to open the book."

"Yeah," Faith said trying to hold back a twinge of guilt. "So Xander was taken for me."

"Now, I am guessing that Cordelia was taken so Wesley would contact Jaxon. To us him to inadvertently throw us off track."

"That would explain why he let him live."

"Yeah," Angel said cautiously. "I am still wondering about that."

"Why?"

"Why would Jaxon bother to stab Wesley if all he wanted him for was a mouthpiece."

"So you think Wes plays a bigger role."

"I mean, I know he looked well enough when we were leaving . . . "

"But?"

"I think he's still in pain."

"When we were at the hospital he looked like he was hurtin' but he said he was fine. What do you think it is?"

"Some kind of enchantment. Mystical poison maybe. It would explain the slow acting nature of his symptoms."

"What are you going to do?"

"Well our plane lands in a few more hours, hopefully you will have Giles by then. He is the only one I know with the knowledge and the resources to find out what's wrong with him."

"What about the others?"

"That's where things get interesting. Now from what Riley said, he saw Spike taking Sam. As far as I can tell, she has no value for him to work with."

"So you think, what, she was just a snatch and grab."

"Knowing Spike, he wanted to get close to Buffy without her knowing."

"And poor Sammie found out about it."

"I would venture so."

"That just leaves Kennedy."

"Yeah, an arrogant and condescending Slayer whose attracted to dark power."

"Shit."

"Ten to one she's our traitor."

"Damn, and I really liked her."

"Now after mulling over the situation, I think there is a big piece to the puzzle we've looked over."

"Which would be?"

"Briar has his own agenda. Something separate from The Order."

"What lead you to that?"

"Briar lost his mother and his younger brother within the past year, according to Anthony it was only after that did he take up with The Order. Now I have no doubt that Briar is evil, however I don't think populating a world with evil Slayers is his style."

"So he's using The Order. To get a hold of The Book of The Dead. To resurrect his family."

"I'm thinking just his brother. Ermengarde Briar was killed in the explosion that devastated The Watchers Council. For The Book of The Dead to work they need a body."

"So Briar is using The Order to get his hands on The Book to bring his brother back to life. What is it that's bothering you about this?"

"I think this plays a big role than any of us realize. It may be key in stopping all of this before it gets too out of hand."

"I'll work on that, you just keep an eye on Wes." 

"Will do."

"Catch ya later," Faith said as she hit the off button.

"What was that about killing you?" an apprehensive Dawn asked.

"Ah, you know, The Council's usual 'kill 'em first -- explain it later' policy on handling a crisis. However, don't worry about it. We have it covered."

"So what did Angel say about the meet with Anthony?" Gunn said authoritatively from behind the wheel.

"The Order's way ahead of us. They're going to use The Book to unlock the power of an Egyptian Slayer who harnessed the demon within. And with an entire army of Slayers now in residence in this world, they are looking at an evil army."

"Damn and I thought things were bad enough as is."

"It gets worse."

"How much?"

"Angel thinks they did something to Wesley. He's not recovering like he should be."

"What like a spell or something?"

"Possibly, but he said Giles would be able to determine for sure."

"So were really going to get Buffy?"

"Looks like it squirt."

"But I thought she was the traitor?"

"Not our luck. It seems like Willow's little lust bunny has those honors."

"Kennedy?"

"I know, I still can't believe it."

"Willow's not going to be happy."

"Oh, yeah. Black eyed girl so gonna freak. Things are gonna get pretty hairy when we get there."

"Speaking of which, Gunn, how much longer?"

"About twenty more minutes Dawn," Gunn said adjusting the car stereo. "Connor, Lorne and Slayer boy are going to pick up Angel & Wes at the airport at meet us at the rendezvous point."

Faith sighed. She couldn't help but feel guilty about what happened with Xander. Especially when it was she who they wanted all along. Now as the clock winded down she was having to put her faith in someone she hadn't trusted for a very long time. She only hoped that it wouldn't be misplaced. That somehow, somewhere B could be trusted again. Not just for her sake, or for Dawn's. But for the sake of the world.


	17. The Awful Secret of Buffy Summers

**Chapter 17: The Awful Secret of Buffy Summers**

Buffy Summers yelped in jubilant triumph. 

True, being able to get a car running wasn't exactly something to have a parade on but it was the first thing that had went right for them in a long time.

"Great," Andrew sighed as he lay hog-tied in the backseat. "Now that we got the car running, is there any chance that someone can untie me and let me use the little boys room?"

He was met seconds later by a resounding 'No!"

"But I really have to pee," he replied in that shrill little wine.

Giles sighed, "Wait until Riley gets back with the soda's. He's the only one that I know you won't be able to annoy into letting you go."

"Hurry!"

Buffy rolled her eyes in disgust.

"Riley!" Buffy called in the distance. "We got the car running."

A moment went by with no answer.

"Riley! Piglet has to take a pee and Giles is thisclose to losing his cool. So hurry up will ya?"

The defining silence concerned Buffy. She reached into the glove box and grabbed a stake. Getting out of the car she gave Giles a look that immediately told him something was up.

"Get Willow," Buffy said as she began to run towards the soda machines.

The unnatural silence from her former beau concerned Buffy as she made her way to his last known location. It wasn't like Riley not to answer her. When she turned the corner, she saw why he didn't.

"Riley!" Buffy screamed. "Its not Sam."

Buffy's cries broke the concentration he was having on Sam enough to push her off of him. When Riley looked at the woman, it wasn't his wife. Whatever the creature was had the face of his wife but its eyes were jet black. The creature took one look at Riley before baring its fangs. Buffy stopped in her tracks. It had vampire fangs. But its face was far from demonic. It looked like the face of Samantha Finn.

"What the fu--"

Buffy's words were cut off when she looked at Riley, who was also as shocked as she was. His momentary lapse in concentration was just what this sorta vampire was counting on. It pulled Riley in with a swift motion and bit into his neck. Everything went into slow motion as Buffy ran with everything she had. Throwing herself at the duo, knocking them to the ground. Buffy pulled the creature off of Riley, throwing her up against the soda machine with such a force that the impact broke the plexiglas covering. Unfazed, the creature rose to greet the Slayer as the two warriors about to engaged in battle. As Willow and Giles turned the corner to come to her aid she turned to them with her game face on.

"See to Riley," she said taking hold of her stake.

"But Buffy --"

"Just see to Riley, Wills. I've got her."

"Buffy, are you sure?"

"Sure," she said flipping her stake and throwing it at the vamp, who caught it with a stealthy reflex of its hands

"Shit."

With a grimacing thud Buffy found herself thrown up against the soda machine, a thick crack and crumbling of broken glass silencing her agonizing scream.

"Buffy!" 

Willow's cries of concern were nothing but muffled in the Slayer's ears. As she lay on the ground, her face resting on her arms, all she could think about was the agonizing pain that radiated all over her body. In all of her years, she had never felt pain like this before. She tried lifting herself up, but it was no use. Everything felt like a numb pin prick. Incensed over the pain that her friend was going thru, Willow prepared to launch into a spell when she was stopped by Giles.

"Willow, no."

Angered and confused Willow spat at the Watcher, "It hurt Buffy."

"We not sure what we are dealing with. Its unlike any vampire I have ever seen."

"I can't just stand by and let her get away for hurting Buffy."

Giles took a long look at his injured Slayer as she struggled to remain conscious.

"Keep it distracted for me. I need to see how badly she's hurt."

"With pleasure," Willow said as her eyes glossed over threateningly.

Giles made his way towards Buffy. When he had finally reached his charge, he cursed wildly under his breath. It didn't look that bad but from his experience that didn't mean anything. There was a stream of blood flowing from a cut on her hairline and she was fairly bruised. He looked back to see Willow throwing fire balls at the vampire who was ducking each expertly.

"Buffy," Giles whispered as he bent down beside her.

"I can't move," she whispered panicking. "Giles, why can't I move?"

"You probably just knocked out a disk or something, don't worry about it."

"How's Riley?" Buffy asked knowing that her Watcher was lying thru his teeth by trying to turn the attention towards her fallen friend.

Giles quickly made his way over to Riley and placed two fingers on his neck.

"He's alive," he said examining his wound. "However he has lost alot of blood. He needs immediate medical attention. So do you."

"I've got Slayer agility to take care of my wounds, Riley needs our immediate attention."

Buffy gave Giles her best resolve face as Giles placed his hands on Riley's wounds. As he looked back to Willow, who looked just as bad as her other cohorts, he knew he needed to do something. Ripping a piece from his sweater and wrapping it tightly around Riley's neck, Giles crept past Buffy and headed towards the car.

"Giles!" Buffy whispered. "Where are you going?"

Giles ignored her as he continued his way slowly past Willow trying desperately not to get the attention of the creature. Too late. It moved past Willow, who slowly crumpled to the ground and pounced on Giles like a cat on a mouse. It was then, for the first time, he got to see the creature for what it really was.

"Oh, my god," he whispered in utter devastation. "Samantha . . ."

"Samantha cannot help you anymore."

As the creature bore its fangs, Rupert Giles fidgeted beneath its stealthy grip. As he closed his eyes tightly he could feel the warm breath of expectation from the abomination boring down on him, he could have sworn he heard the sounds of screeching tires and a loud shrill. He opened his eyes he saw the monster dissolve into a thick black mist. Picking himself up he saw Faith, Dawn and Charles Gunn, who was brandishing a crossbow.

"Once again, Gunn, your timing is impeccable."

"Don't mention it G-man," he said lifting him up from the ground.

"I will say to you what I have said to Xander, never call me that."

***

Cordelia Chase sighed as she sat shackled to the van as it sped down the highway. Things were really bad. Samantha was dead. Kennedy was a traitor. She was nearly poisoned. And Xander. . . well Xander had never looked more depressed. As much as she had tried to convince him that the things that had happened were not in anyway his fault. But that was like talking to a deaf man. He would not hear her. If there was one thing she knew about Alexander LaVelle Harris was the moment that he had made up his mind about something it would take a helluva lot to change it. 

"Xander?"

"Don't Cordelia."

"Xander, please . . . "

"I said don't," Xander spat, his face a mixture of overwhelming sadness and bitter regret.

Cordelia said no more. The look she recieved from Xander said enough. For as long as she had known him, Xander was never the kinda person to just give up. For the first time ever he was totally resigned. Cordelia said nothing but solemnly closed her eyes and cried. If Xander had believed that their situation was hopeless, then what could she possibly say to the contrary. 

***

Buffy Summers was propped up in her hospital bed. 

After the save by Gunn, Giles rushed them to the hospital. She had started to regain feeling in her body on the ride over. The doctors had said something about a pinched nerve in her spine from a herniated disc. She would need physical therapy to regain her former mobility, although she suspected her Slayer agility would speed her recovery up a bit, the reality was she wasn't going anywhere soon. Which meant she was permanently out of the search for Xander and the others. As was Riley. He would live. However he had lost a terrible amount of blood. He would need rest and transfusions and without Slayer agility it would take him a while before he was mobile again. The others were gathered in the waiting room, going over what they had learned from their time in Los Angeles. Giles had come to see her shortly before and promised to fill her in once it was over. It didn't matter though. As much as keeping her in the loop was courteous the point was she wasn't going to be able to help and even if she did, it would be doubtful that she could do much good. She just got her ass unceremoniously kicked. There was time that Buffy was a feared killer. Now, she barely remembered those days. Now she was nothing more than depressive mess.

"Penny for your thoughts."

Buffy looked up to see Dawn standing in the doorway.

"What are you doing here? Isn't there a Scooby meeting you should be attending?"

"I pretty much know everything that's going to be said," she replied walking in and taking a seat on Buffy's bed. "Besides I want to see how you were doing."

"I'm fine."

"Really? Cause you don't look it."

"Why are you doing this?" Buffy asked looking at her sister perplexed. "A few days ago you couldn't stand to be in the same room with me. Now, you're sitting here like the last couple of years didn't happen."

"They happened. Don't think you are getting off that easy."

"Then why?"

"I don't know," Dawn said sheepishly hiding her face in her hair. "I guess seeing you there, all hurt and stuff, made me realize that I still love you. That despite the massive mistakes you have made and the things you have put all of us through . . . I think you deserve a chance to explain to me. Why did you leave?"

Buffy held back the tears in her eyes. Taking one look at Dawn's face she realized that if she was ever going to regain her trust again, she would have to come clean. Taking a deep breath, she started talking.

"I never planned to abandon you. Know that. And it had nothing to do with you or Spike. It was about me. The first few days after Sunnydale, I was a mess over Spike. I can't ask you to understand what it was I saw in him and I don't really think I can either. At the time, in the mind that I was in, I was looking for someone to understand. Spike was there. Said all the right things and the next thing you know, I was obsessed. I don't think I really thought about what I was doing. I wanted an escape and Spike gave it to me. In the days following the destruction, I began to realize that. I didn't love him. I never did. As always I ran from it and threw myself full force into an impossible relationship because it was easier than being alone. Better to be unhappy and loved than unhappy and alone. Xander had done the same thing with Anya. He knew there was no future for them but he pursued her for the sake of having someone to be with. When she died it hit him just as hard as it hit me. We started to talk about it. How we had regretted what we had done. What we had allowed ourselves to become. For the first time in a long time, I felt that finally someone could really understand. We were both in pain. It hurt so much. And . . . and we made a mistake."

Dawn's mouth practically dropped to the floor, "You slept with Xander!"

Buffy nodded, "We knew right after it had happened that it was a mistake. We decided to forget about it. To move past it. Pretend like it never happened. And we did. For a while. Like with most things in life though, it came up and nipped us in the ass."

"What happened?"

Buffy faltered. Wondering if she could continue further. Dawn noticed that Buffy was hesitant. As to reassure her sister, she reached out and grabbed her hand. Buffy squeezed it softly and continued.

"I found out I was pregnant."

"Oh, my god."

"I was so scared and confused. Xander looked like he was genuinely starting to move on and we were about to head off to Cleveland. I wasn't sure what to do. I wanted to leave a while. Collect myself. Figure out what I was going to do."

"What did Xander say?"

"I never told him."

"What?"

"I know it was a mistake, but like most things in life I didn't think. I just acted. I went to a motel and just sat there. I was so scared Dawn. How the hell was I going to be someone's mother, I can barely take care of myself. Look what a crappy job I did raising you. What right did I have to raise a child. After a few days I collected myself and was going to go back to tell Xander. We would make the decision together. However it was that time the two of you busted Faith out of jail. Giles and the others had gone on to Cleveland and a pregnant Slayer would have been a liability. So I went to Riley and Sam. Willow had still kept in touch. They were really gracious. Had helped me out in any way that I could. I figured that I would wait until Giles had finished with the others in Cleveland and then I would go back. We would find Xander and would let them know. As time wore on however, I don't know, I guess I began to love the little baby inside of me. I started thinking about names and clothes and pre-school education. I totally embraced the whole expectant mother thing. . . "

Dawn wiped the tears from her eyes and looked straight into Buffy's. What she saw said it all.

"Oh, god, what happened?"

The tears that Buffy had been holding back finally spilled over.

"We were in Sao Paulo. My due date was near. Riley's gang had just nested a pack of Slime Monsters. It was just after sunset. I was taking a walk along the river. I could have sworn I recognized it. And as I walked closer I did. It was Spike. I was shocked. I couldn't believe that he was alive. He walked up to me, and I hit him."

"You _hit_ him?"

"In those months away, I had come to realize that Spike had taken advantage of me. And I had let him. I was furious at him but more at myself. I hit him because I wanted him to know that I wasn't going to be pulled into his games anymore."

"What did he do?"

"He hit me back. In the darkness and it being the jungle and all he couldn't see I was pregnant. I fell backwards and into a tree. It caused my water to break. Spike freaked out and ran. Riley and Sam were coming to get me for dinner. Saw the whole thing. Riley stayed to help me birth the child while Sam went after Spike. It was then that he kidnapped her. See, it was never her that he wanted Dawn, it was me. He just didn't count on me being in the family way."

"What had happened to the baby?"

"I had been to a doctor a few days prior, everything had looked fine. They think that something happened when I had fell. The baby . . . the baby was stillborn."

Dawn could see the pain in her sister's eyes well up and she broke into sobs.

"I am such a horrible person. I turned my back on you . . . on all my friends. And my baby. I killed my--"

Dawn grabbed Buffy by the shoulders, "You did _not _and I repeat _not _kill your baby."

"If I hadn't of hit Spike . . ."

"Its his fault for hitting you back."

"But you don't understand, Spike probably thought it was foreplay."

"Ick factor aside. What happened wasn't your fault. We all make mistakes. Sometimes really big, colossal mistakes, but who hasn't? Listen to me. None of us would be on your case so much if we didn't love you. If we didn't hate what you were doing to yourself. However as much as we tried to steer you in the right direction, it was a lesson you had to learn on your own. But you're not being punished. The baby's death was an unfortunate accident."

Buffy held Dawn's face in her hands, "When did you grow up to become the wise one?"

"Eleven months on the road with Xander and Faith will do that to you."

"I'd like to hear about that."

"And I'd like to tell you about it."

"Well then," Buffy said fluffing her pillows. "Lets roll."

Dawn regained her composure and adopted a stoic bravado, "It all began with a bet and some Jello flavored snacks."

"Ah, food. Now I know this is a Xandery story."

"Anyway, so Xander, Andrew and I were watching the Battlestar Galactica marathon . . . "

Faith watched silently in the doorway. A pang of anger and jealousy seethed thru her. She wasn't going to act like she wasn't expecting this to happen. She knew it was only a matter of time before the super sisters made up and she was dropped to the curb. As she tapped her heal against the floor, she thought how she should have been more surprised about what she had just heard. However it made lots and lots of sense. There was only a few things that were nagging at the back of her mind. Why hadn't Buffy told Dawn that she had met up with Xander in Vegas and more importantly why didn't she tell him about the baby.


	18. The Tale of Schroeder, Sally, Lucy & Lin...

**Chapter 18: The Tale of Schroeder, Sally, Lucy & Linus**

Angel stood outside the waiting room watching as Wesley filled Willow and the others in on what had happened in England. Gunn had contacted him when they arrived at the airport about Buffy and Riley. He was glad they were going to be fine but was disturbed by everything else. Giles had spotted him and excused himself from the others meeting Angel in the hallway.

"What are the chances you are wrong about Samantha Finn?"

Giles sighed and gave Angel a serious look, "I wish to god I were. However I got a really good look her. She bore the mark."

His mind flashed back to when he was in the throws of the Samantha creature. He could see what looked like a tattoo on the side of her neck. It was the Eye of Ra. 

"It was the Eye of Ra. It would explain alot about what she was capable of."

"So she's become Akhekhu?"

"Yes. The Akhekhu were the soldiers of Amon-Re. It was said that when one of its members would die their bodies would be submerged into the River of Death and they would be reborn a demonic being who walked in darkness. Loyal to Lord Ra and all those who served in his name. Akhekhu drank the blood of the living so that they could never die. If injured they would only vanish into a black fog and return to kill again. Akhekhu is also similar to the Sumerian word Akharu, which of course means . . ."

"Vampire."

The two turned around to find Willow standing behind them.

"I can read minds, ya know."

Both Angel and Giles blushed slightly.

"How many times have I told you to ask first?"

"Sorry Giles, but you guys were giving off some serious worry vibes. So what else about this Akhekhu should I should know about, other than it can kick my ass?"

Angel tried desperately not to laugh at the look that Giles was giving her.

"I had always thought that Akhekhu were a myth amongst vampires. A kinda boogeyman thing about vampires of pure evil who could never die. A vampire that even vampires fear. No one ever thought much of them."

"And now?"

"And now," Angel sighed. "Now we have proof that such a thing exists."

"What does this mean about Xander and the others?"

Willow had asked the question that had been plaguing them both. If that kind of miserable fate had befallen Samantha, it didn't look all that great for the others.

"I would say thing just got worse if they weren't already."

"I was afraid you would say something like that."

Angel took a cautious look over at Wesley, "What about Wes? What have you been getting from him?"

"Nothing good. I can sense his aura fading and that only happens when someone's dying."

"But the doctors said his injuries weren't life threatening."

"Which means someone is sucking it out of him."

"But why? What would Briar need Wesley's life force for?"

"Well, you said yourself Angel that he wants to resurrect his brother. He would need an exchange. A life for a life. That's the one thing I know first hand about Egyptian magic."

Willow became decidingly uncomfortable as she thought back to the deer, whose life she had taken in order to resurrect Buffy. Luckily for her, Angel had sensed her awkwardness and quickly got the subject back on track.

"Well then why Wes?"

"I think I may know," Giles said as he took off his glasses and began to clean them. "Jaxon Briar once dated Wesley's sister."

"Wesley has a sister?"

"_Had_ a sister," he corrected. "She and her potential were killed by Caleb and the Bringers."

"I wonder why Wesley never said anything?" Angel asked looking in at his friend perplexingly.

A minute later, he wished he hadn't.

"He and Katrina were always very close, however over the years, they clashed because he worked for a vampire. The two were still at odds at the time of her death."

"How do you know all of this?"

"Ermengarde Briar was an old friend. We still kept in touch up until her death. Jaxon deeply loved Katrina. However Wesley never thought that much of him and did what he could to let Katrina know. Shortly before her death, she and Jaxon parted ways. He had always thought that Wesley was to blame."

"And now he is paying Wes back?"

"It would look that way."

* * * 

Connor went walking the halls towards Buffy's room. He hadn't seen Dawn in the waiting area and Giles had told him where she was headed. Connor liked Dawn. But he didn't _like _Dawn. At least not like that. Connor didn't deserve that. Not after what he had done. He saw Dawn as a friend. Someone who could understand, and more than most, what it was like to be him. Only, to his knowledge, Dawn didn't go all evil and insane. As he rounded the corner he saw Faith standing in the doorway. He went to say hello but before he could she stalked off in the other direction, clearly pissed. He shook off how strange that had been and proceeded to Buffy's room. Buffy's eyes had lit up when she seen him. 

"Speaking of heroes, one just stopped by."

Connor blushed as Dawn excitingly turned around and grabbed him by the arm.

"Come on in, I just finished telling Buffy how you saved me."

"It was nothing, really."

"Well I wouldn't call jumping thru a window and taking a bullet for my sister nothing."

"Really? I was just working on instinct, that's all. It all happened so fast, I didn't know what I was doing until it was done."

"Heroic and modest. You're so much like your dad."

_Yeah, the good and the bad_, he thought as he sat down on the chair besides Dawn. Buffy looked at him in awe, shaking her head in disbelief.

"God, you look so much like him."

"So I've been told."

"Back off chica, I saw him first," Dawn said giving Buffy a wry smile.

_Oh, god. Please no. _ Connor's mind raced. He could handle practically anything, however Dawn falling for him wasn't one of them.

"You know," he said getting up and backing towards the door. "I need to talk to my dad. I'll just leave you two here."

With that said Connor turned around and bolted from the room. All Buffy and Dawn could do was laugh.

"Connor what is it?" Angel asked as he saw his son bolt down the hallway.

"We need to talk."

"Can it wait? We sorta got an emergency on our hands."

"So is this," he said grabbing Angel by the arm and pulling him away.

Faith sat in the cafeteria nursing a strong cup of coffee. What she really wanted was something stronger. Ever since she had seen Buffy, her mind kept flashing back to that one moment. She had always felt like she was second best to Sunnydale's favorite Slayer but for the first time in her life she thought that she had the upper hand. Thought she had Xander. But it turns out she was nothing more than the cast away. The one he settled for when he couldn't have who he really wanted.

"Penny for your thoughts, Princess?"

Faith turned around to see Lorne standing there.

"How long have you been here?"

"Well long enough to sense your killer vibes from four floors above," he said taking a seat next to her. "So what's bothering you?"

"Nothing," she lied taking a sip of her coffee.

"Your sudden sour mood wouldn't have anything to do with 'Little-Miss-Snippy-Pants' upstairs?"

"If you are talking about Buffy, then yes."

Faith sighed before giving him a wry grin.

"'Little-Miss-Snippy-Pants?'"

"Yeah. Never mind that she is partially paralyzed and out of the loop as far as what is going on. She has the nerve to start barking out orders to everyone like she's in charge. As if now that Buffy is here we should all be grateful for her wisdom. Giles wanted to know where you were. Hoped you would knock her down a few pegs. However from the look on your face, I don't think that's a good idea."

"That's Buffy for ya. Queen of arrogance."

"So what did she do to you?"

"What hasn't she? From the moment I became a Slayer, it was like the first thing I was ever really good at. Then I find out there is another one of me and I'm thinking I'm part of this exclusive sisterhood of kick ass demon hunters. Only my 'sister' in slayage is a sexually repressed know-it-all who hated being a Slayer but didn't want to share it either."

"Ah, the classic 'I don't want it but I don't want anyone else to have it' shtick." 

"And well, to be honest, that always pushed me the wrong way, ya know. Why should she get all the glory and I have to settle for the scraps. That's one of the reasons I went all dark side, ya know. I kill a couple people, learn the errors of my ways, reform. Its was hard stuff. I get out of prison and she screwing vamps behind dumpsters. What the hell? Being the bad Slayer is supposed to be my thing. I had a bit of identity issues there for a while."

"When did that change?"

"When I was on the road with Xander and Dawn. At first it was annoying but I put up with it. I will admit that my intentions weren't always pure. It wasn't lost on me that Buffy bailed on the two people she was the closest to. However as time went on, things changed. I actually learned to care. Which, is a miracle in itself. Now ..."

"You feel like you're losing it all."

"First with Xander's kidnapping and now with Dawn --"

"What happened between you and the little nipper?"

Faith looked at Lorne for a moment, not sure whether or not she should tell him. She knew though, that she had to do something about what she had heard. And Lorne was the closest thing that she was going to get to an impartial party.

"I overheard Buffy and Dawn talking. Buffy told her something, I am not sure if its a lie, but I know that Buffy was keeping something from Dawn. The two of them did the bonding thing."

"And you're not sure whether or not to tell Dawn that Buffy is keeping something from her."

"I mean, on the one hand, she deserves to know what Buffy is hiding and on the other, I don't want to ruin how happy she was."

"I think that maybe, before you talk to Dawn, you should have a talk with Buffy. Make sure to find out what's going on before you blurt out something you might regret."

Lorne gave Faith a pat on the back and left her alone. She knew that this was coming for some time. She knew that eventually she was going to have to confront Buffy. There was a no better time than now. Lorne was right. She needed to find out what was going on. Throwing her cup into the trash she walked thru the double doors and to the elevator. As the bell rang and the doors opened, she was caught off guard when a prone figure spilled out and landed on top of her. After a few seconds to regain her bearings she saw who it was.

"Cordelia?"

Bruised and terrified, Cordelia grabbed tightly onto Faith's arm.

"You have twenty four hours to go to Las Vegas, alone, or they will kill Xander."


	19. What Goes Around

**Chapter 19: What Goes Around . . . **

Buffy sat in her room reading the paper. The talk with Dawn had really lifted her spirits. The fact that she was willing to forgive her, after everything she had done, had begun to soften the hard wall she had put up years before. She knew that she had done wrong, that she had hurt them all. However it gave her hope that if Dawn was willing to open herself up to her, the others would be to. 

With a loud thud the door to her room burst open, breaking her concentration. Before she knew it she saw Faith storm in.

"Faith, wha . . . "

The rest of Buffy's words were cut off by the clasping of Faith's hands around her throat. Buffy looked towards the doorway, her eyes widening in shock. There stood Cordelia, bruised and looking worse for wear, hands folded across her chest and giving Buffy a murderous look.

"Start talking bitch," Faith seethed as she took a firmer hold of Buffy's throat. "Or I swear to god, you're dead."

A few seconds later a muffled 'ok' could be heard and Faith released her grasp. 

"This is how its gonna go. I'm gonna ask, you're gonna answer. You're going to tell me everything. Anytime I think you are lying to me, I will hit you. Hard."

Buffy nodded in agreement.

"Ok, first question. I know that you met with Xander, while we were in Vegas. I know that you swiped The Book of The Dead. What I want to know is why? I want details B."

Buffy sighed.

"We were in Bangladesh. Riley and the other commandos. I had been with them about two weeks. We had raided this village that had been overrun by some kinda demon with lots of red horns. I forget what it was called. But there were papers talking about a shipment of books to a warehouse in Vegas. There was a manifest. Sam skimmed them over and saw something that worried her. On the list was a copy of something called Senefera's diary. Riley managed to figure out that it was an Ancient Egyptian spell book written by a Slayer that went evil. They thought that it would be too dangerous to have it fall into the wrong hands. Before we could retrieve it, they got called to take out this nest in Queensland. So I said that I would pick it up. Riley was apprehensive about leaving me alone but Sam said that she had heard from Willow that is where you, Xander and Dawn were held up. I figured I would go to you for back up."

"But you didn't."

"No. I went to Xander first. There were things we needed to discuss. I never got around to it though. All he ever talked about were you and Dawn. How happy he had seen you become since being there. I finally got around to telling him about the mission and believe me that I wanted you to be involved. Xander was against it. He said that for the first time in along time you looked happy. That there hadn't been a single demonic disturbance since you arrived. He didn't want to ruin it all for a simple snatch and grab."

Faith looked at Buffy in disgust, "Xander had managed to get tickets to this show Dawn had been wanting to see. Beyonce was going to perform. He suggested that I take her. Do the whole bonding thing."

"Once you were gone I met him in the lobby. The book was coming via airplane and then a truck would take it to its final destination. We managed to hit the truck just as it arrived at the drop off. Got the book, but we accidentally tripped some kinda sensor. They followed us for blocks. Finally we had to hide out in the sewers until the coast was clear."

"When we got back," Faith said. "Xander wasn't there. He had left a note about going on patrol. Despite the fact that we hadn't run into anything there yet, we were still on the look out. I didn't think much of it. Told Dawnie to go to bed. Not to worry. He didn't get in until morning. Said that he had been spotted and hid out in the sewers until it was safe. There was only one thing wrong about his story."

Faith reached into her pocket and pulled out an earring.

"Look familiar, B?"

"Where did you find this?" She said snatching it from Faith's hands.

"In Xander's jacket pocket. Right where I found it. Freaked out. Had a fight with Xander and he finally opened up about what happened to you both post Sunnydale. Naturally I go postal and call things off. But that's what you wanted. See, this is what I think happened. You put it in there. You wanted me to know. You knew that Xander and I were into something and we couldn't have that could we?"

"You're delusional."

"No, I'm right. As soon as Sunnydale went under, you and Xander did the beast with two backs. Now, for him it may have been a comfort thing but you I don't. See, the whole thing with Spike illustrated that you don't see sex as comfort, you see it as power. Sleeping with Spike gave you power. For the first time in your life you were doing whatever the hell you wanted, damn the consequences. And even when he abused you, tried to rape you and treated you like crap, you still stuck with it. I mean, part of you knew it was wrong, part of you liked it. Part of you liked being fawned over like that because you loved that attention. Didn't you B?"

Buffy's answer to Faith's query was a slap across the face. All Faith did was smile and rub her cheek.

"Struck a nerve didn't I? Now, lets get back to Xander, shall we. Xander was alot like Spike once. His world revolved around Buffy. He bent over backwards for even a smidge of recognition or love from you. He loved you from the first moment he saw you and you knew that. Despite what you told him about not loving him back, he still bent over backwards for you and you dug it. You dug the power that gave you. However, eventually he learned that you weren't the only thing in the universe and you hated that. You hated the fact that even though he would always be there for you, he wasn't the White Knight he used to be. He became Anya's savior, her hero and you hated that didn't you. You hated her. I mean when Angel went all dark side, it was all about how he was a good person but the moment Anya returned to her demon ways you could wait to off her. Could ya, B? I mean, with her gone, nothing stood in the way of you roping Xander back into his Buffy worship. However things didn't go the way you wanted but it all ended up the same in the end. So you took advantage of his loss for Anya to solidify a hold on him."

"Bitch."

"And proud of it. Now, you're little plan didn't go the way you wanted. He regretted it. He didn't go right to your waiting bosom. So you leave. You shake things up a bit. You plan to return and spring this whole baby thing on him. A child would bind the two of you together permanently. Only there never was a baby, was there B?"

"How dare you!"

"Don't even go there. You don't have that right."

Buffy looked over to Cordelia. The girl now stood at the foot of Buffy's bed. Her eyes were bloodshot and tired but if looks could kill Buffy would be dead.

"You have no idea the hell that I went thru. That Xander went thru. All because you're a self centered bitch who didn't give a damn about anything else except yourself."

"Cordelia, its not how Faith makes it out to be."

"Samantha Finn is dead," Cordelia announced. "I watched as she dropped to her death and drown. All because precious Buffy wanted what she wanted."

"I'm sorry about Samantha."

"Nothing you can do or say can possibly make up for that. Or for Xander. Do you know that he blames himself. For Samantha's death, for causing all of this. He thinks that there is no escape. No hope. I've known Xander Harris a helluva lot longer than you and let me tell you something. Xander never gave up. No matter how bad things got he always held hope. Then you came along. You and your self righteous mission. From that day forward, you began to kill who we were. Piece by piece. Willow. Me. Xander. Are any of us better off because we've known you. No. Our lives suck and they'll always suck. We're part of a destiny that was never ours and now we cannot escape. You always talked about the burden of being the Chosen One but did you ever, for once, think about the burden that you were placing on us? Or the burden that you placed on hundreds of innocent young girls who will never have a life thanks to you. You always talked like being a Slayer was a curse and you know what, it is. Only now, you've dumped that curse onto a lot of people who don't deserve it. You think that any of us can truly forgive that. Wake up! You can never make up for the things that you've done. Maybe one mistake or two but there are just too many. Too much. Its just too much."

Stifling back tears, Cordelia turned and left the room. Both Slayers sat there for a minute, mulling over what Cordelia had said. Faith was about to say something when she was interrupted by the sound of someone clearing their throat. They turned to see Giles and Angel standing in the doorway.

"How much did you hear?" Buffy asked looking at both men with a panicked expression.

"Everything," Giles said taking up Cordelia's former spot standing in the door way. "But even if we didn't Riley managed to fill us in on what he knew. Seemed rather shocked about it all."

"We came here to fill you in on what's going on," Angel added leaning up against the wall. "But I guess there's no need, is there?"

"Giles, I can explain --"

"Don't."

"Its not like she made it out to be!"

"I don't want to hear it!" 

Buffy was taken aback by the anger in her Watchers voice. A moment passed as it soften into one of disparagement.

"As of right now, you are to no longer have any contact with the rest of the group," he said in a deadly serious tone. "You will board a plane to England in the morning. When you arrive you will be met by members of the Coven. They will take you to Devon where you will begin your rehabilitation. Both physical and psychological. You will stay there as long as we see fit for you to be there. You will stay --"

"You're going to hold me captive?"

"You will stay," he continued. "Until we deem fit for you to leave. During this time, it is our hope that you will have thought long and hard about the choices that you have made these last few years, you're utter disregard for their consequences, and that you have single handedly caused pain, suffering and deaths of others. Without any forethought for the quality of human life. That makes you dangerous to the group and to anyone who happens to cross your path. You're unpredictable. Out of control."

"Giles, I didn't mean -- " Buffy said choking back sobs.

"You never do. That's the problem. You have set into motion a series of events that has lead to the very existence of the world being threatened! I would expect something like this from a sixteen year old with no knowledge of the dangers of hijacking a book of such enormous power and telling no one. But you are experienced. You should know better. Until you can grow up . . . we no longer have a place for you. Hopefully you will do some of that during your hiatus. And at which time if you have proven to us that you have pulled yourself together, then we will consider what happens to you from there."

With a sigh, Giles excused himself and walked out the room.

"Faith," Angel said as walked towards the doorway. "Riley's asking for you."

Taking one final look at Buffy, Faith walked out the door. Buffy looked at Angel, whose eyes were a mirror of disappointment and regret.

"You did this to yourself," he said walking out the door.

Buffy openly wept.

* * * 

Riley Finn lay stiff in his hospital bed. The reality of everything sweeping over him like a cold ice growing inside of his chest. He had hoped beyond all hope that somehow, somewhere, what had attacked them had been an apparition. Something not his wife. Deep down though, he knew. Even though Angel had managed to fill him in on what happened and he had volunteered what he had known about Buffy, he was still reeling. It was all so much. So many emotions running thru him at one time. Sadness and heartache over the loss of Sam. Anger and betrayal at Buffy for causing the situation. Fear and uncertainty for Xander and the others.

"You're looking better than the last time I saw you."

Riley looked up to see Faith standing in the doorway.

"Faith. Thank you for coming."

"Not a problem. What did you want to talk about?"

"You know about Buffy?"

"Yeah."

"There was something I didn't say to Giles or Angel, because they looked pretty shocked about the whole thing. But I knew somehow that you would understand."

"What is it?"

"I know how to destroy the book."

"You do?"

"When Buffy had returned from Vegas, she said that there was no book. That it turned out to be nothing more than a red herring. Obviously she lied."

"Obviously."

"Sam and I had figured out a way to get rid of it, but since it was apparently a hoax we never brought it up."

"What did you figure out? How do we trash this thing?"

"According to the shamans we contacted Senefera's book is considered an unholy abomination. That the only way to destroy the book is by using divine sacrifice to counteract the evil aura. Once that has been done, the book can be destroyed like you would any other book."

Reaching over to take Faith's hand Riley placed something inside, curling her fingers as if for her to hold onto it tightly. Opening her palm, Faith saw a St. Christopher's medal. 

"It belonged to Sam. She got it while she was working with the Peace Corps. It was given to her by a preacher form France. Said that it had been blessed in the sacred waters of Lourdes. She was wearing this when the demons attacked her village. She was spared and kept her safe ever since. It had fallen off when Spike grabbed her. You take this. You put it around that damn book and you throw it in the portal that killed her. The medal with counteract the evil and because its a blessed object, it will turn anything it touches holy. By blessing the water, the portal will close and return to water. Thus destroying the book."

"Riley, this means so much to you. I don't know if I can --"

"By doing this you would be freeing her soul. I couldn't save her life and I am in no condition to help save the others, so please let me do this."

"Okay. I better get going, I want to make the timetable."

"Well you're not leaving without me," Cordelia said walking into the room.

"I really appreciate it Cor but --"

"You don't have any idea where the hell you're going."

"Oh, yeah."

"What, you think they just dropped me off to tell you to deliver a message?"

"Ok, fine lets go. I want to make it there by morning."

"The resources I have at Wolfrahm & Hart can get you there by sunset," Wesley said as he walked in and stood besides Cordelia. "As long as I go with you."

"Wes -- "

"I know what is happening to me, despite what anyone may try to hide from me. This is personal Faith. A moment like this has been building between Jaxon and myself for sometime. You cannot deny me. I'm going with."

"As am I."

They all turned to see Connor standing in the doorway.

"Connor, you need to stay here."

"But that's all I do," he said frustrated. "Wait behind. Don't get involved. All because they are afraid. I can't live my life in fear. I can't live my life hiding behind my guilt either. I may never remember my old life, but I can't let that stop me from making a new one. I may never be able to make up for the bad things that I've done but I can't not try. I want to be able to redeem myself. Please, let me try."

Faith smiled. She of all people understood what it was like to seek redemption. And where would she be if Angel hadn't of given her a chance.

"You're in."

"Ok," Wesley said taking out his cellular phone. "I'll call ahead and have everything waiting for us."

Faith turned to Riley unsure of what to say. He merely smiled at her.

"Do me a favor?" she asked.

"Anything."

"Give us about an hour's head start before you tell them what happened."

"Will do. And Faith?"

"Yeah?"

"Go kick their ass."

"Will do."

Faith looked around at the other people in the room with a sense of wonderment. Had this what it had been like when Buffy had first formed the Scoobs? Now all these years later, she had her own team and together, they were going to save the world.

"This could work," she said giving a hug to Riley and following the others out the door. "This could really work."


	20. Fellowship

**Chapter 20: Fellowship**

Faith sat in the van staring out at the warehouse.

"Shit," she muttered under her breath. "That was the place Xander, Dawn and I hit last year. The night that Logan Briar was killed."

"I find it fairly odd that Logan's death was a coincidence," Wesley stated as he looked thru a pair of binoculars. "I think this is all one big elaborate set up."

"What do you mean?" Connor asked as he shifted nervously in the passengers side seat.

Wesley sighed as he placed the binoculars on the dashboard.

"Think about it for one moment. Jaxon was fully aware that Buffy and Xander stole that book before it had a chance to reach him. He does his research, learns about Faith and the fact that she is a wanted criminal. So you will be laying low, staying out of trouble. He needs to draw you out into the open. So he hires some chaos demon to rough up local prostitutes in the hopes that it gets your attention. When that doesn't happen fast enough he introduced Lorna as a more personal element. Almost forcing you to participate. When that happened he needed to stay one step ahead of you. That is where Logan comes in. Logan was always looking for a way to make it up to his brother for the disfiguring accident that left him unable to become a field Watcher. Jaxon has him befriend Dawn."

For what purpose?" Connor asked as he fiddled with the binoculars before finally picking them up.

"Information," Wesley continued. "Thru Dawn, Logan could know your positions at all times. Where you are going and what you are doing. He would then relay that information to Jaxon, who in turn went about planning out exactly what he was going to do. He set it up for you to come right to him. Something happened, something unexpected. . ."

"Logan fell for Dawn," Faith finished. "In the end, he gave his life to protect her. That allowed us to escape and after that we left Vegas."

"Precisely."

"What I don't understand, is why go to all this trouble? Why make this elaborate game? Why not just track down Faith and kidnap Xander then? Why go to all the trouble of kidnapping someone from each of the Scooby factions? Why bother bring us all together if it was just a few of us that he wanted? Why not just kidnap the ones he wanted and to hell with the rest?"

"Those are good questions Connor," Wesley said looking concerned. "Something tells me that there is something much bigger going on here and we have yet to understand."

"Just when you think you've got all the pieces, you realized you haven't begun to assemble the puzzle."

Everyone looked at Connor with perplexed faces.

"What?"

"Didn't figure you for the philosophical type," Faith said smiling.

"The spell that Angel had placed on me came with knowledge that I never had before. I mean before the spell broke I was first in my class at Berkley."

"And you've still retained that knowledge?"

"Yeah, I have retained the memories of both lives. Although now they are kinda blended together. As far as my life with Angel, I can remember nearly everything from my time with Holtz. My life in this dimension is scattered. I can remember some things clear as day, others are kinda foggy. However I have enough of it to be able to put the pieces together about what had happened. When it comes to Jasmine and the months before it. Its all a blank."

"It must be tough," Wesley asked noting Connor's uncomfortable shift.

Connor stole a regretful glance at Cordelia, who hung her head out of sight.

"Its terrifying," he spoke softly. "To know you did things, horrible things to people you loved and cared about and not know it. To have people tell you that you were responsible for so much pain but not have it register. Every time someone mentions the Jasmine thing it doesn't feel like they are talking about me. It feels like they are talking about someone else. And, for a second, I think they are. Then it hits me. That they are talking about me. About things that I have done. That's when its the hardest. To look into the eyes of people I care about and to know that they know something I never will."

"In a way, its a blessing," Cordelia said looking Connor in the eyes. "To not know. For as much as it may hurt to know you've done evil but not remember doing it. Its even worse knowing that you did. That's why Angel had that spell put on you Connor to begin with. He didn't want you to spend the rest of you're life suffering for a stupid mistake in judgment. Like he has. That's what all father's want. For their children to have what they never could."

Faith looked around at her cohorts. For the first time she realized that everyone that surrounded her was going thru the exact same thing she was. Even though all of them had gone about it a different way, they had all walked in darkness. They all had done things that they couldn't take back and now had to try to deal with the aftermath. To know they had been harbingers of such chaos and to live with it. They were all on the path of redemption, even though some were further along than others. All those years spent in prison she never thought anyone could understand what it is she was going thru and when she got out everyone did. Each Scooby in their own way had fallen off the righteous path and the Faith of old would have laughed at the irony. However she knew those lessons were paved with pain and suffering. An internal struggle that she still deals with. A struggle that the people surrounding are dealing with as well. Although they didn't have all the pieces of the puzzle, everything felt strangely connected. For whatever the real reasons that had brought them to this place, they knew why they were there and what they had to do.

"I don't know what lays ahead of us," she said getting her best came face on. "I could give you a nice inspirational speech but that's more Xander's thing. Whatever plot that was hatched that lead to us coming here, the facts still remain. We have a friend to rescue and a book to destroy. Focus on those goals and deal with anything else as it comes. Just remember to keep your eyes open and yourself alert. Whatever goes down, whatever happens in that warehouse, we do it together. I want no heroes. I swear to you know if someone plays the hero and you manage to survive, be certain that I will kill you when its over with. Understand?"

The others nodded in agreement. Taking one last look at the seedy warehouse Faith took a look at Cordelia.

"You ready?"

"As I'll ever be."

"Wes, I need you and Connor to wait here til we get in. Then go in thru the back. From what Cordelia says its minimally guarded and you can access the catwalk from there. Your job is to find Xander. We'll take care of the book."

With a nod from the boys, Faith opened the door to the van and stepped out.


	21. Princess of Darkness

**Chapter 21: Princess of Darkness**

_An excerpt from "Mythology and Misconceptions: A Modern Day History of The Watchers Council For Modern Day Watchers" by Katrina Wyndhm-Pryce_

City of Iunu, spiritual center of Ancient Egypt, or as it was called by its Greek name, Heliopolis 'land of the sun.' Mainly used as a center for astronomy, it was better known for its affiliation with the Cult of Amun-Re. This cult, who worshiped Ra, god of the sun, was a powerful force in Egyptian society for thousands of years. Feared by Pharaohs and respected by the masses, the Cult of Amun-Re along with the Cult of Osiris at Abydos, controlled the very foundations of Egyptian spirituality. However although it was the Cult of Osiris that remains today the most remembered of the two, the Cult of Amun-Re, was by far the more powerful.

This was none more evident than during the 18th dynasty of the New Kingdom during the reign of Pharaoh Thuthmosis III. Thuthmosis, a Napoleonic military king, would unknowingly bring about one of the most powerful and darkest age of the Egyptian spiritual dynasty. Often known as a devout worshipper of the gods, none were celebrated more under his reign than Amun-Re, whose banner his army would march under and the goddess Hathor, wife of Ra, whom he built a spectacular temple. It was under this influence that the sovereignty of these deities were upheld by his people, especially his children. One child in particular, his daughter by a mistress, Amun'nehkt, would take his ideological worship of Ra to different and terrifying new advances.

Princess Senefe-Ra (pronounced _Sin-nef-fay-Rah_), daughter of Thuthmosis and Amun'nehkt, was born in Thebes in the year 1459 B.C.. One of the Pharaoh's several children, Senefe-Ra must have held an important place in her father heart for he named her after his beloved god. Although the throne would revert over to her brother Amenhotep II, Thuthmosis would ensure his daughter's future by marrying her to one of his general's Hamur in 1450 B.C., shortly before his death. She was only nine. It wasn't long before she was pregnant with her first child, a son, Thuth-Ra. Hamur would become a powerful general who soon rose within the ranks of Amenhotep's armies and in his favor. It was this favor that gained him the ability to lead Amenhotep's army towards what would be a massively successful campaign to ward off Syrian invaders leaving behind a pregnant wife. On her thirteenth birthday Senefe-Ra welcomed another child, a daughter Amuneketen. A child that would never know her father, who would die during a particularly bloodthirsty battle.

Senefe-Ra raised her children in Thebes, where she was increasingly becoming involved in the worship of Amun-Re, and took particular interest in the Cult of Amun-Re at Heliopolis. At fifteen, Senefe-Ra traveled to Heliopolis on a 'spiritual quest' leaving behind her two children in the care of her husband's sister. At Heliopolis, her life would forever change. It was there that she would meet up with a man named Anuran, a sentry working for a secret society whose job it was to ferret out demons and other evil spirits. Anuran explained to Senefe-Ra that it was her destiny to thwart these evil beings and that only she had the power to do so. It was this destiny that had lead her to Heliopolis. That she was an Akhekhu Alal. Or as it is known today a Vampire Slayer. Anuran was her Watcher. A successful Slayer, Senefe-Ra was widely respected among the people of Heliopolis who regarded her as the hand-maiden of Hathor who saved them from the demons of the underworld.

Senefe-Ra soon began to believe that she was gifted by the gods and used it to gain influence within the Cult of Amun-Re. She found the teachings and practices of the cult to be inviting, much to the chagrin of Anuran. Despite his efforts, his charge continued her studies into the cult's dark magicks. She became powerful, too powerful, than any Slayer should. Using the spells of Amun-Re, she was able to elevate herself to High Priestess. With her new position she had gained access to _The Book of The Dead_, which contained the darkest of all dark magicks. It was then that Senefe-Ra tapped into a place where no other Slayer had ever been. Her inner nature. The demon that was used to give the Slayer its strength to fight the forces of evil. Fearing of what she would be capable of Anuran sought out help of his fellow Watchers. He plotted against his former Slayer.

Unknown to Anuran, Senefe-Ra's powers had grown to allow her the foresight to see her coming death. She wrote a spell that enabled her spirit, upon death, to be bound to an object of her own creation, a copy of The Book of The Dead written in her own hand. Wrapping the book up she sent the book with her most trusted aid to Thebes and would be entrusted into the care of her children. Under Senefe-Ra, the Cult of Amun-Re enjoyed a decade of power and privilege over the lands of Egypt and she as its leader, was hailed as its goddess. The people unfazed by the darkness and evil she had brought with it. During sunset in the year 1439 B.C. Senefera stood inside her temple when Anuran and his men approached her. She did not fight as she was grabbed and stabbed in the gut. Before dying she vowed that one day, her true heir would return and she would live forever. Anuran and his men went about ridding every and all knowledge of Senefe-Ra, even from her royal lineage. It was from this incident that Anuran took it upon himself to ensure that no other Slayer would know that kind of power. That no other Watcher would have to rid the world of their own Slayer.

He founded The Watchers Council in 1438 B.C. He and his fellow sentries and those who would be born from them would take it upon themselves to seek out the Slayer, teach her how to defend the world against the coming darkness and to ensure that she would never reach the heights of power and darkness that Senefe-Ra had. Ten years later, in 1428 B.C. members of the Watchers Council had tracked down Senefe-Ra's daughter Amuneketen, who had returned to Heliopolis with the intention of resurrecting her mother using her copy of the _Book of the Dead_. Anuran commandeered the volume and tried to rid himself of the tome but found it impossible. He buried it underneath the sands of the ancient city, with the hopes it would never again see the light of day.


	22. Resurrection

**Chapter 22: Resurrection**

Dawn Summers was pissed off.

After everything they had been through. All their experiences together. And yet somehow, Faith had felt that she had to be left behind.

"To be fair," Riley said trying to placate the girl. "I don't think she purposefully meant for you to be left behind. Things just happened so fast."

"That's not the point Riley."

"The point is that you trusted that she was the one person who you thought didn't still treat you like a child."

Dawn looked up at Riley's sympathetic smile. He had a point. It wasn't that she was angry at being left behind, only what being left behind had meant. That even Faith, who had treated her more like an adult than Buffy ever did, still thought of her as a child.

"Things went down so fast Dawn, I honestly don't think that anyone was really thinking all that much beyond getting Xander and Cordelia back. "

"I know but she could have at least left me a note."

A soft knock at Riley's door got their attention. Dawn smiled as she saw Angel standing in the doorway.

"I'm not interrupting am I?"

"No, not at all," Dawn said as she got up from her seat. "I was just leaving."

"You don't have to, I just wanted to give something to you," he said pulling an envelope from within his jacket pocket.

"What's that?"

"Its a note from Faith," he said handing it to Dawn. "She handed it to me as they were walking out the door. Told me to give it to you and to say that she's sorry. This was something she had to do on her own. The note explains why."

Dawn said nothing as she held the piece of paper in her hand. Fresh tears spilling down her cheeks.

"Dawn, you okay?" Riley asked concerned.

"I'm fine," Dawn said as she read the letter. A broad smile forming across her face. "Never better."

Dawn stared down at the piece of paper with a renewed sense of faith in Faith.

"Connor?!" Angel said as his son dragged him down the hallway and into an empty waiting area. "What's going on?"

"I need some advice . . . " his voiced trailed off unable to bring himself to say it.

"About what?"

"Women," Connor answered in an almost inaudible whisper.

"Connor, you're going to need to speak up, I could barely hear you."

Swallowing his pride, Connor repeated his words.

"Women. I need some advice about women."

Angel looked at Connor in utter confusion. That was until he started bouncing up and down like a giddy school girl and wrapped his arms around his son so tight that it was cutting off circulation in his arms.

"Dad, you're squishing me," Connor mumbled as Angel finally let go of his son. "What was that all about?"

"Sorry," Angel said grinning from ear to ear. "Its just you're coming to me for advice about girls. That's such a father/son thing to do. I mean, it was only yesterday that I was feeding you, or changing your diaper, or showing you your first broad sword -- "

"Dad!"

"Sorry about that. Got a little carried away."

"You think?"

"It was the broad sword thing that did it."

Connor nodded.

"Should stopped while I was ahead. However, the point is I have been waiting for a moment like this, and it means a great deal that you came to me about it."

"We'll I'm just glad that I could."

"Its about Dawn isn't it?" Angel asked as he studied his son's expressions.

"Yes."

"She likes you."

"Yes."

"And you don't like her back."

"How could you tell?"

"I've been around a long time, I recognize the 'deer in headlights' look when I see it."

"I like Dawn as a friend, its just I'm not ready for that. Not now. And I don't want to hurt her."

"Son, come," Angel said as he sat down in a nearby chair and motioned for Connor to follow. Which he did.

"What's this really about?"

Connor hesitated, unsure if he really wanted to breach this subject again with his father. It was a source of much pain for him. Something he didn't want to inflict upon him once more.

"How do you make up for something that you've done wrong?"

"This is about the Jasmine thing, isn't it?"

"I've done so much wrong, so much that I can't even remember. I want to be able to get past it, but how can I? How do you make up for something I don't even know that I did?"

Angel gave Connor's shoulder a tight fatherly squeeze.

"I'm gonna let you in on a little secret that I have learned over the years. The battle between good and evil is nothing more than a struggle to become better than your means and the methods about which you go about achieving it. That's all it fundamentally boils down to. People will say they are in it for power or for revenge but in the end their motives can all be summed up in the fact they are trying to be different than who they are, and how far into the extreme they are willing to put themselves into to be that. If you want to get on with your life, if you want to change, then its within your means. However you may achieve that. Its not about making up for things that you do wrong Connor, that's not the way to go about it. Believe me, I know. You may never be able to make up for what you did in the past, so stop trying to live in it. Its not our past that defines us, its our choices. If you choose to become a better person, then that all that matters. And know, that no matter what you decided, I will always be here to support you in it."

Connor looked at his father, trying to hold back the tears threatening to spill from his eyes.

"Thanks."

"Don't mention it."

"Now, what do I do about Dawn?"

"Let her know how you feel, she'll understand. And make sure to let her down gently. The first thing to know about the opposite sex is that they are very sensitive."

"Will do."

For Connor nothing seemed more dire nor more important than what he was doing right now. He and Wesley had made their way towards the back entrance, disabled with no effort the two guards that stood at its door, and were currently making their way up the darkened passageways. Yet, as they continued their journey he couldn't help but think about what had happened between he and Angel just before he had left.

"Wesley?" he whispered as they stopped at a fork in the tunnels.

"Yes, Connor?"

"How do you let a woman down gently?"

Wesley's answer was drowned out by the buzz of a crossbow bolt flying right past his ear and into the wall before them. Turning around he could see a dozen hooded figures, armed and standing before them.

"Well talk later," he whispered as he watched the figures begin to circle.

Faith and Cordelia walked slowly thru the warehouse and past a large metallic container giving off a pungent odor almost too ghastly to inhale.

"What's with the rank?" Faith asked as they continued to pass the large vat of putrid black water.

"Its death," Cordelia replied holding back a sob. "Lots and lots of death."

Moving with a quickened pace, they came upon the mummified corpse which caused Cordelia to shudder.

"At least we know we were right about him trying to resurrect his brother."

"Um Cor," Faith said taking a closer look at the mummy. "Unless the kid had breasts, which I highly doubt, I don't think this is Logan Briar."

"Then who could it be?" she asked taking a step closer. It was then she noticed a silver bracelet around the mummies left wrist.

"There seems to be writing on it."

Faith walked up to the mummy and looked down at the bracelet. Her eyes staring in disbelief at the inscription. Three simple letters that spelled out the missing piece of the puzzle. K.W.P.

"Oh, god," she said turning swiftly to look at Cordelia. "I know what we've been missing."

Startled Cordelia backed into a pulpit knocking it contents onto the floor. Not wanting to alert anyone of their whereabouts just yet she took a dive to the floor catching the large tome with both hands and with all her Slayer strength. Once the adrenaline wore off, the two stood frozen at the contents between Faith's fingertips.

"Please tell me that's not?" Cordelia asked in a shaky voice.

"I think it is," Faith said standing up and staring down at the book.

Her left hand held it tightly by its spine, her right held tightly over a golden shaped rectangle that locked the two ends in place. With an unsteady hand she pulled back her right hand and to her horror, the lock was broken. Neither one had the courage to speak as Faith dropped the book to the ground. A soft rumble and gust of wind began to ruffle its pages. The book was open.

The time of the Dark Slayer was at hand.


	23. Intercession

**Chapter 23: Intercession**

Faith stood staring at the book with abject horror.

"I-I didn't mean to," she said with the slightest hint of panic creeping into her voice. "I didn't know. I just grabbed the book I didn't know I would grab it so -- I didn't know."

The sound of a singular pair of hands clapping caused them to turn around. There was Jaxon Briar, arrogant smile and all.

"Good job," he boasted. "Thank you for skipping past the exposition portion of this evening and plowing right ahead towards the main event."

Connor jumped up and grabbed a beam three feet above his head. Pulling himself up he launched his feet out at the two hooded figures that were charging them. No matter how many they had already taken down it seemed like more came out of the woodwork. His quickly darted over to Wes, who although was effectively taking care of the ones who were charging him, was looking particularly winded. He knew that Wesley was still recovering from his injuries and was lingering under the effects of Egyptian magick. His biggest concern was that the former Watcher wouldn't be able to handle the continuous onslaught of hooded adversaries. Pulling himself back up, he did a handstand on the beam and with all his momentum, flung himself down and right into the group Wesley was tackling.

"Find Xander," he panted jumping back onto his feet.

Wesley looked at Connor with a concerned glare, "I can't just leave you here."

"Just do it!" Connor yelled ducking the punch of one of the hood figures. "I can handle this."

"Connor --"

"Wesley, just go!"

Wesley watched as Connor kicked his assailant into a neighboring wall. The boy knew just as he did that the longer they spent battling off the guards, the more time they were wasting on rescuing Xander and getting back to help out Faith and Cordelia. Squeezing tightly on Connor's shoulder, Wesley ducked past the guards and continued his way down the corridor.

Angel sat in the waiting area of the hospital staring out the window. Dawn, who was standing in the doorway, could see the worry on his face.

"He'll be okay," she said taking a seat next to him.

"I know," he said. "But it kills me not be able to do anything to help them."

Dawn gave Angel a sympathetic smile.

"If you're that worried why didn't you go with Giles and the others?"

"Because as much as I love my son, I knew that this was something he had to do on his own. We all have our own paths to tread. This is his. Why didn't you go?"

"Its not my fight. I love Xander and I love Faith, but I realized something I didn't before."

"Which is?"

"That this time belongs to them. This fight is theirs. As much as I would love to help them, to fight by their side, there will be other fights for me. Just not this one."

"What exactly did Faith say to you in that letter?"

Dawn pulled out the piece of paper and handed it to Angel.

"See for yourself."

Angel opened the envelope and read its contents. It was simple. To the point. So very Faith.

_Little Sis  
Hold down the fort while we're gone._

_Faith_

_PS: I'll bring him home._

Faith couldn't believe that she had screwed up. They had been so careful, so ready, and now the world was going to end because she had been just a little to aggressive with the Slayer grip.

Briar, who bore the most condescending grin Faith had ever seen, began to slowly walk towards them.

"Faith, the Dark Slayer, we meet at last. I wish it could have been under better circumstances, however one cannot be picky."

"Why?" Faith looking up from the book and at Briar. "All of this, all the spectacle, all the suffering, just to resurrect your old... girlfriend."

"Are we feeling okay Faith, you seem a bit peaky?"

Cordelia looked up at Faith. The Slayer looked as if it was taking all of her strength just to stand up.

"Faith?" she said moving closer to her.

"I'm not actually feeling all that peachy right now," she stuttered looking down at the book.

The tome continued to ruffle until finally its pages split in half, opening on an ornate scribbling with a bunch of hieroglyphics. Faith recognized the symbol at the top of the page as the freaky face thing -- The Eye of Ra.

"We need to get --" she started but never finished.

Cordelia watched as Faith's eyes rolled up into the back of her head and she fell with a large thud to the floor.

"Faith!" Cordy screamed running to the Slayer's side. Seeing that the girl was indeed alive she turned to face Briar.

"What's happening to her?"

"She's coming into her true potential," Briar replied as he motioned to two sets of guards that had seemingly appeared out of nowhere.

The guards grabbed Cordelia and dragged her away from Faith.

"Let go of me!" she screamed biting into the hand of one of the men causing him to let go of her.

As Cordelia ran towards Faith she was grabbed by two more guards, she fought both of them off with ease as she tried desperately to help the girl now sprawled unconscious on the floor. Briar rolled his eyes at the incompetence of his minions and walked briskly towards her. Grabbing Cordelia by the hair he swung her around and gripped her by the throat with the fold of his elbow.

"You're really starting to irritate me," he said as she thrashed against his grip. "However, you've served your purpose, so you are of no more use to me."

And with that he pulled a knife from his robes and slammed it into her abdomen. Cordelia gave out a scream that was caught in her throat at the impact of the knife. As Briar pulled out his blade she could feel the warm and disgusting free flow of her own blood. Panicking she placed both hands on her wound as he dropped her to the floor. It was of no use. The blood flowed past her hands and down her clothing. She didn't have to say it to know what was happening. She was dying and there was nothing that could be done to save her. Ignoring his victim Briar motioned his guard over to Faith.

"Put her with the others," he said picking up the book from the floor. A wicked smile crept into his features unlike any Cordelia had ever seen.

"Victory is mine."

Cordelia tried to protest, but soon, darkness had overtaken her.

Xander stood pacing in his cell. His mind riddled to its ends with guilt. It had begun. He could feel it. They had been too late. Nothing could be done to stop it now. All that he could do was sit and wait for the end to come. Knowing all along, that it was he who was to blame. If only he hadn't been so weak. If only he had not acted in a moment of pain and allowed himself to do something absolutely stupid. But, then again, what was new? Xander had a history of doing really stupid things in the heat of the moment that would always come back and bite him in the ass. However this took the cake. End of the world. That was a new low or high or whatever you would classify it as. Point was that royally screwing up did not come close to describing what he had done this time. As he stood there in self pity, his cell door burst open. In fell one of his hooded guards, along with Wesley who proceeded to beat the man into unconsciousness. Without so much as a hello he picked himself up and looked out into the hallway.

"All clear," he said motioning for Xander to follow.

Xander just stood there staring at him utterly defeated.

"Its already started," he whispered. "We need to hurry if we are going to stop it."

Wesley took a good look at Xander. Cordelia said he was depressed, but he was completely despondent. As much as he wanted to give him the reassuring pep talk, they had no time. With a swift motion Wesley walked back inside the cell and clocked Xander, knocking him onto his back.

"Owwwwwwww!" the young man screamed grabbing his face.

Wesley stood there staring at him unapologetically.

"Get up!" he ordered.

"What the hell was that for?" Xander said muffled by his face.

"Get up, we need to get out of here."

"What's the point?" Xander said standing up. "Other than trying to break my nose."

Wesley's patience was wearing thin, "The point is we have a job to do and we could use all the help we can get."

"Help? I'm the one that got us into all of this."

"Xander, I know you play a bigger role in this than we may realize and right now, I just don't care. What I care about is that my friends are in trouble and they need my help. There was a time when you cared about that too. Instead I find you sitting on your arse feeling sorry for yourself."

"Even if I do help, what hope do we have to stop this?"

Wesley's demeanor soften as he saw the tears beginning to develop in Xander's eyes.

"Hope exists as long as one of us is alive to see it thru."

Xander looked at Wesley with sincerity. He had been beating himself up instead of doing what he should have been doing all along. Whatever he did was immaterial to the fact that he had people counting on him to watch their backs. Right now, that was all that mattered.

"Lets book it."

With a nod, Wesley ducked out into the hallway. When the coast was clear, he headed back down the corridor with Xander in tow.

"So where to first?"

"Connor," he replied as he bent down to pick up two swords from some fallen guardsmen. "I left him in a bit of a bind."

"Lead the way Wes-man," he said as Wesley handed him a blade as they continued down the hall.

"Xander?"

"Yes?"

"Don't ever call me that again."


	24. Death Be Not Gentle

**Chapter 2****4: Death Be Not Gentle**

Connor found himself exhausted, beaten, and uncertain of how much longer he could keep this up.

He had taken down a few dozen of these hooded soldiers and though only one remained, his strength was spent. Currently he found himself in the middle of sword battle with a man that he had suspected had a form of mystical mojo behind his ability. Or demonic heritage behind him to say the least. There was no way a mere mortal could have the stamina that this guy did. Connor was going at him with all his might and the attacker proceed on unfazed.

A swift slice to the abdomen sent Connor's mind back to the task at hand. Glancing down at his wound, he was happy that it was superficial as he swung his sword to stop the opponent from striking him down. With a forceful shove Connor managed to push the man back, sending him flying into a neighboring wall. Knowing that the man was only momentarily stunned, Connor leaned up against the wall behind him for support.

"How does Dad do this?" he huffed as he leaned his head back.

"Connor!"

Connor's attention turned down the corridor where Wesley came running with Xander.

"You got him," he said smiling in their direction.

This momentary distraction allowed his attacker to awaken. Using it to his advantage, he grabbed his sword and struck the boy in chest. The two men stopped in their tracks. Thunderstruck they watched as the blade passed thru one side of the boy and out the other. The killer barely had time to pull his blade from the young one when a sword pierced thru the air and hit him between the eyes. Xander turned to see that it had been Wesley, whose face was now riddled with tears. He ran to Connor, whose slid down shakily to the floor. Xander wasn't a medical doctor but he knew enough about wounds over his years of slaying to learn that the kid was dealt a fatal blow. Although never a fan of Angel, he cringed at the pain this would cause him.

"You got him," Connor said looking at Wes who was checking over his wounds.

"I need you to lie still," he replied trying to keep himself calm.

"It doesn't hurt that much."

Wesley's faced crinkled in pain at the boys admission. Tears flew freely from the former Watchers' face.

"I did good?" Connor asked.

"Very," Wesley said touching the side of Connor's face. "You're father would be proud."

"Dad . . " he said shakily, his eyes becoming somewhat disassociated with what was happening around him.

"I love my dad."

Connor leaned his head back and stared out into space. It would take a couple of seconds for either to realize that he was dead. Wesley's mind was reeling. For the second time an ill-gotten decision on his part has caused Angel to lose his son. Considering the reaction he had last time, Wes doubted this time Angel would be so forgiving. Taking a deep breath he pulled his sword from the man's head which it embedded and turned to Xander.

"We've got work to do."

Wesley's voice was hollow and his face still riddled with the shock of what had just happened. Xander merely nodded and tightened the grip of his blade. There would be a time for mourning. But it was not now. They had a job to do and at this moment it was all that mattered. Taking one final look at Connor, they headed back down the corridor. As they made their way back towards the main room, both had observed how quite everything had become. How their was no opposition for them.

"This is not good," Xander muttered as the two reached the Roth ironed stairwell leading to the warehouse floor beneath them.

"I agree," Wesley said surveying the area as he brought his sword into battle position. "Be ready. Its more than likely a trap."

"I don't like this. I mean, where the hell are Faith and Cordelia?"

"I don't know, but I think that its best for us not to assume the worst."

Xander followed Wesley down the stairs and onto the warehouse floor. The two made their way towards the entrance, swords ever at the ready.

"Its way too quite here Wes-man."

"Xander, please don-- oh my god."

Wesley's sword hit the floor with a loud clang as he ran in the direction of a large pool of blood. Xander stepped cautiously, not really wanting to know who it was on the other side. If they had any luck the blood came from a large number of dead hooded guards, however with the way things were going he realized that it was probably Faith and Cordelia. As he reached Wesley's position, he held back his tears.

Cordelia was dead. Her vital fluids caked the warehouse floor. Like Connor she had bled to death, and if there was one merciful thing about this, it seemed to have been quick. A gamut of emotions ran thru Xander as if he had been hit by lightening. Anger, fear, hatred. But all of that didn't matter right now. It wouldn't bring her back. It wouldn't bring any of them back. What mattered was finding Faith and getting rid of that book.

Taking a deep breath he walked towards Wesley, who sat besieged at Cordelia's fallen form.

"We need to find Faith."

"What does it matter," he said in a monotone voice. "If they killed Faith, then its all over."

Xander picked Wesley up by the shoulders.

"Was it not you, no less than thirty minutes ago, told me that as long as one of us is alive, there is still hope. The last time I checked, we were both still kicking. So even if the others have fallen, we still have a chance to stop this."

"I think not Slayer boy."

Xander let go of Wesley as the two turned to see the disgustingly familiar form of Spike standing behind them. The vampire was flanked by a dozen or so hooded guards. Both men were too angry to care that they seemed grossly outnumbered. With swords grasped and at the ready, they charged.

Dawn Summers walked around the hospital corridors. She wasn't very fond of these places. Ever since her mother's death she had developed a rather stiff aversion to them. Despite all her issues she couldn't deny there was something oddly comforting about it at the same time. Here the battle between life and death was fought by nameless men and women whose actions went on overlooked and underappreciated. Not unlike the legacy of a Slayer. She kinda like that.

Angel had headed out to contact Giles and see if they had made it to Vegas yet. Although he tried to keep things cool, Angel was going out of his mind with worry. They had struck up meaningless conversation in an attempt to try and ease their anxieties and it got her thinking. He said that when this was all over, he would work on getting the charges against Faith dropped, which means that she would no longer be a wanted criminal and would be free to explore her life without having to look over her shoulder. That made Dawn happy that Faith would get that kinda chance. However it also put into question serious doubt concerning her future.

Buffy would be shipped off to England and as much as Dawn knew she would be welcome, she wasn't ready to forgive her. Which means it was doubtful that she would be able to handle seeing her everyday. She knew she would always be welcome with Xander, but part of her felt as if he was entitled to his own life. To meet someone and get married. Have tons of little Xander's running around. Part of her thought it would be nice. Something she was starting to consider. She could settle down someplace, maybe attend community college. For the first time in her life act like a normal girl. There were dozens of people out there to handle to slaying, so it was not as if she would be turning her back on it. As much as she tried not to think about it, Dawn really wanted a normal life. One that didn't involve vampires or demons. One where she could build on something of her own instead of being stuck behind the reputation of the Slayer. Part of Dawn thought it was selfish to want to turn her back on something that had been such a big part of her life. However, was it selfish to want to be normal?

For the first time in a long time, Dawn could sympathize with her sister. To have to choose between being an average girl and a defender of evil wasn't an easy one. It must have been a tough struggle not just for Buffy but for Xander and Willow. Dawn had always found herself kinda roped into the whole game of slaying that she never thought of the conscious choice the three of them had made. By the time she entered the world, it had become routine, a thing of normalcy. She could hardly fathom that there had been a time when three average kids decided that they would stand between the forces of darkness. That they chose to let that become a part of their lives. That they would prowl the streets in secret keeping the world safe for another day. As much as they had all talked about how there had been no choice in the matter, she knew better. They all had a chance to walk away before things got too deep. Before they had gotten too involved. They chose to stand. Now Dawn faced that decision, and to be honest, she wasn't sure if she wanted to follow in their footsteps.


	25. Things You Really Regret Later

**Chapter 25: Things You Really Regret Later**

With the rise and fall of his blade Xander took down his opponent. Which, usually would have been a victory if not for the fact that the opponents kept on coming. His strength and determination began to wane. He took a quick glance over to Wesley, who despite barely holding his own, was doing better than he had expected. The deaths of both Connor and Cordelia had given the former Watcher an unknown boost of strength. However, he was uncertain of how long it would last. The man looked spent. As if he was on his last legs. It was taking all that he had to continue fighting. Xander had to give the guy credit. When he had first laid eyes on Wes he never would have thought he had this in him. The again, the same would hold true for himself. He had grown much from the geeky guy who couldn't hold his own again jocks in high school, let alone demons of the evil variety. Now not could he only hold his own, but he was doing so against a seemingly endless army of evildoers. He had saved the world more times than he could count and accepted the possibility of death with each one. Out of all those experiences, out of all of those moments, this was one that stood out. Maybe, because deep down he knew he was going to die. Yet, with that certainty inside came an odd sense of calm.

"Oh, yeah," he whispered as he brought his blade up to stave off the charging figures. "Definitely gonna die."

Darkness turned into light as Faith slowly returned to consciousness. She squinted her eyes painfully as she brought a hand up to her temple. She had the beginnings of a splitting headache brewing but she shrugged it off as she attempted to bring herself to a sitting position. She had worse.

"What the hell happened?" she asked softly, talking to herself.

"You passed out."

Faith froze. Slowly she picked herself up off of the cold floor. _This isn't happening. Its just her head playing tricks on her. _Taking a deep breath she turned around to the direction of the voice.

"Holy shit!"

"Hello Faith," the figure said as it walked up closer to her. "Long time no see."

Faith swallowed hard, trying desperately to regain some composure.

"Fred."

The vampiric form of Winifred Burkle was now within an inch of Faith, yet the Slayer did nothing.

"Wesley and Gunn said that you were dead. They didn't tell me you were turned."

"That's because they don't know. Everything happened so fast, all they had time to see was my death. Afterwards they combed the chaos for my body but when it wasn't found they thought it nothing more than lost amongst the charred remains. The only one who knew was Angel. He tracked me down shortly after. He always had a way of just knowing things. He told me he would spare me if I left never to return. So I did. He didn't inform the others because he had felt they had beaten themselves up enough about my death as it stood."

With the initial shock wearing off Faith grabbed Fred by the throat and slammed her against the wall.

"Answers," she spat as she tightened her grip. "Now or your dust."

"Let me go and I will tell you anything you want. I am here for the same reason you are, there is no need for violence between us."

Faith gave Fred a hard suspicious look before letting her go. She cringed as she saw the fiend rub its throat slightly and morph back into the sweet innocent face she had come to know.

"What do you mean you're here for the same reason I am? How did you get involved in all of this?"

"After Angel banished me from L. A. I had no place else to go. No where to turn. So I kinda wandered. Eventually I made my way to Vegas. It was then that I met Briar. He knew who I was. What had happened to me. Told me that he would pay me large sums of money. I had nothing else to do, so I accepted his offer."

"What were you doing for him?"

"Research. Mainly tracking the lineage of Anuran and finding his current living descendants."

"Who is Anuran?"

"He was Senefera's Watcher. He ultimately was the one who betrayed her to her death. According to the curse, she could only rise again unless the blood of last of her betrayers direct descendants were killed. Anuran had four children, who in turn created four distinct bloodlines that barely diverged from their original lineage and I was able to track them down to four family lines: Harris, Chase, Lockhart & Bennett."

"Wait a minute, are you telling me what I think you are telling me?"

"Xander and Cordelia descend directly from Anuran, as is Connor."

"Connor?"

"Liam Lockhart, better known to you and me as Angel."

"Oh, my god."

"Most of Briar's work had already been done for him. Xander's family got wiped out during the destruction of Sunnydale, as did Cordelia's. Angel killed all of his family and since he is dead himself that leaves only his son. Now the Bennett's. That was a bit of a problem. We were able to track down an descendant of Anuran's down to a Joyce Bennett. She married a man named Hanks Summers and a had a daughter named Buffy."

"So that's why Spike went after Buffy and why they tried to kill Dawn."

Fred nodded, "However, after a bit more digging, I learned that Joyce was adopted and she had no other siblings, so in actuality, she was not a true descendant. It was only a few days ago did we realize our error. I was able to find out that the bloodline of Anuran diverged slightly. That Joyce's father had a half brother thru his mother and that when his parents divorced, he lived with his father and his brother went with his mother. She eventually remarried and her son would take the step father's last name. It took a bit more sleuthing but wasn't beyond discovery. He had no descendants so the line had been cut off years ago. After I had finished Briar told me what he was doing. My reaction wasn't what he had wanted so he locked me in here."

Faith didn't know what to think. Things were so unbelievably confusing, but also made sense. This was the missing piece they had been looking for. Why they had been taken. Why they were targeted.

"Why are you telling me all of this?"

Fred smiled, "The one thing you need to know about Vampires is that as much as we like to create havoc on the planet, we don't want the world to end. At least not in the way Briar is planning. If he manages to resurrect Senefera then all demonic life on this planet will ceased to be."

"And what would be so bad about that, I thought that was the whole point of this good vs. evil thing?"

Fred gave Faith an exasperated expression before she started to pace about the floor.

"The Slayer, as we know them now, although in reality a demon with a pretty face is in essence an instrument of good. Why?"

"Because we're human, we have souls."

"Right and wrong. A big misconception people have when it comes to demons is that a soul matters. A soul doesn't make a person good or evil. Some humans possess souls and commit murders and rapes. Demons without souls are harmless as puppies. It has nothing to do with being soulful and everything to do with being human. Genetically we have evolved over the centuries to inhibit our primal forces. It is these genetic traits that allows us to know the difference between right and wrong, good and evil. To a pure demon source, there is no good or evil. There is just an is. The boundaries which we place on the concept of good and evil do not apply. They exist only thru instinct. The primal force which deep down resides in all of us but is subdued thru thousands of years of emotional conditioning and intellectual suppression. We are basically all muzzled. Every demon that walks the Earth is part human and therefore lies within them thru genetics the ability of choice. We choose to be good, or evil. To kill or to spare. A pure demon, like Senefera became, lost that choice. She didn't turn to evil, she succumbed to her instinctual nature."

"Which was to kill?"

"No. To survive. As a result of her primal instincts she would kill anything or anyone that she deemed as threatening to her. Demon or human. Anuran stopped her because she had caused the ritual suicide of a thousand cult members because she felt one of them could try and kill her. If Briar manages to unleash the primal power of the Slayer -- "

"Then we are looking at a really big problem."

Faith walked a few paces away from Fred, her mind going over what she had just heard. She had no reason to trust Fred and found that her being there at that time to be rather convenient. Too convenient. However deep down inside, Faith's instincts were telling her that the girl was on the money. As much reservations as she had regarding Fred, she couldn't ignore her gut feelings. Or the fact that it was the only thing she had been told over the last few days that made remotely any sense.

"What do you have in mind?"

"Briar had crosses nailed to the door as well as coating it with holy water making it impossible for me to open in my present condition. That, however, won't be a problem for you. Now, after we get out of here there is a catwalk that reaches alongside the entire warehouse, we should be able to get to the main floor from there. I am guessing since you're here you have a way to get rid of the book?"

Faith nodded, "First things first. I need to find the others. I know Cordy and I got caught but Wes and Conner are still out there, they may have found Xander."

Fred's faced turned suddenly grim sending chills down Faith's spine.

"What?" she said trying to contain her emotions.

"I overheard the guards as they were dragging you in here. Cordelia's dead. So is Conner. I didn't here anything about Xander and Wesley but its more than likely they're gone too."

A gambit of emotions ran over Faith unlike anything she had ever experienced. Hate and sorrow, mixed with an overwhelming desire for revenge. So into her own world she had gone she had barely heard Fred talking. She only managed to hear a bit of it.

" . . . we can bring them back . . ."

"What?"

"Before we destroy the book, we can use it to bring them back. It contains spells that can overturn natural death. Its risky but its worth the shot."

More than ever Faith was determined to bring this nightmare to an end. Not only to save the world, but to save her friends, who had done so much that the deserved much more in return. She knew the risks. Understood they would be messing with forces more powerful than anything they had ever known, but the prospect of having to tell Dawn that Xander wasn't coming home was not an option at this point.

"You can do that?"

Fred nodded, "More than likely."

It wasn't a yes, but it would do.

"Then lets do this," Faith said as she went up to the cell door and kicked it open.


	26. Path of Thorns

**Chapter 26: Path of Thorns**

An eerie calm met Faith as she and Fred made their way down the hallway.

"I don't like this," she said as they round a corridor festooned with hooded corpses.

And she really didn't. Faith had been in situations like this before and silence always meant bad. Very, very bad. As they reached the end of the particular corridor she noticed something down a passageway to her left.

"God," she whispered heading down the hall with Fred right behind her.

"Connor."

Faith bent down to get better look at her fallen friend. He had been in one hell of a fight. His face mottled and bloodied.

"I thought I told you that I wanted no heroes," she said brushing the hair out of his eyes.

"We should really get going," Fred replied looking around apprehensively.

Kissing the boy on the forehead Faith got up to leave. Just as she was about to walk away something caught the corner of her eye. Bending back down besides Connor she noticed there was a chain hanging around his neck. Pulling it off she couldn't believe her eyes.

"A cross. A son of a vampire is wearing a cross?"

"Its the Cross of Durrow."

"The what?"

"Its a smaller representation of a High Cross from Ireland. Angel got it for Conner after he was born. Said that there was some myth behind it that whomever wore it would be blessed. He got one for Cordelia too."

Gears began spinning in Faith's mind. She had found herself back at the hospital with Riley 'The only way to destroy the book is by using divine sacrifice to counteract the evil aura'.

"Son of a bitch."

"What?"

"Nothing," Faith said under her breath.

Getting back up she looked Fred directly in her soulless eyes.

"How exactly do you plan to get them back?"

Fred hesitated.

"How?"

"Well," she muttered stuttering slightly. "They're not actually dead."

"What?"

"Well at least not in our reality. Its a physics things. Senefera's spirit isn't actually contained within the book, its within a hell dimension and the book is the portal to open it. In most hell dimensions time moves faster than it does here. Connor was just a baby when Holtz stole him from Angel but he returned a few months later a teenager. The dimension where Senefera was cast moves very fast. In what has only been a few thousand years in our time has been hundreds of thousands of years there. Most of the time demons can move between our dimension and hell dimension by creating a tear between realities. Now, this is only good for maybe a small cadre of individuals with little to no power volume. The more powerful they are the bigger the tear has to be. Now in order to bring someone like Senefera over from the other side, you need a really, really big tear. Now the bigger the tear you make between realities the more of a risk you face that the other dimension will leak into ours. When you add to that the dimension Senefera is in moves insanely fast, then you have yourself a problem. How do you fix that problem?"

"I don't know, not do it?"

"You stop time."

"Oh. And how exactly do we do that?" Faith pondered giving Fred a perplexing look.

"Stopping time on the entire planet would take an enormous amount of power both mystical and physical. That would create alot of unnecessary attention where Briar wouldn't want it to necessarily be. He needs to stop time to bring Senefera forth. To solve that problem you need to isolate time in a single area. In a single space. For example, a warehouse. Isolate time in a single space would achieve the goal that he desires."

"That still doesn't explain how they're not dead."

Fred sighed bracing for what she knew was going to be something way over Faith's level of comprehension.

"The universe is split into several dimensions, all existing at the same time, but never interacting. Now many dimensions you will find things to be drastically different from what they are now, but in most, they are very similar, to the point where the differences are so miniscule that they don't change anything. That means for every different dimensions like Quartoth or Pylea, you get thousands of Earth dimensions. Alternate realities. Now say that you were to open a portal to an alternate dimension, but instead of ending up in an entirely alternate Earth, you ended up in an alternate reality contained within itself."

Although still not quite sure why, Faith was starting to understand what Fred was telling her.

"Ok, so if I am understanding correctly and believe me when I state that its just a smidge, you're telling me that this whole warehouse is actually an alternate dimension that is running along with but not crossing with our own."

Fred nodded.

"And that because they don't cross, whatever happens in here won't effect the rest of the universe."

"Yes."

"Ok, what I really don't understand is, if Briar has the ability to create an alternate dimension, then why not create one where he is god or something. It seems like alot to do for just to bring some dead witch back to life."

"Actually it makes alot of sense. As I said before to open the dimension in our time would be too risky. But to create a dimension whose sole purpose existed only to achieve one goal, would in essence solve all the problems. It would exists only for only as long as its purpose was still unfulfilled. Once its purpose was fulfilled it would cease to exist. Every and anything left would become in essence a new reality."

"One where Senefera was live and kicking."

Faith hated to admit it but it was actually brilliant. For the first time she saw the full extent of what she was up against and for what was not the first time she truly felt what the extent of what she was up against.

"So how does this mean that they're not dead?"

"The entire universe exists for only the purpose to bring Senefera forth. Which means that time would consist on a loop starting from the moment the universe was created. The moment that you and Cordelia walked into the warehouse. So if you where to somehow thwart Briars plan, time would eventually reset itself."

"Ok, I understand that, but how exactly would I remember. How could I stop it if I start from the moment that time was reset."

"You take a token. Something that would remind you of what happened here. Although you won't be able to remember everything, it is possible to bring something back that would trigger it."

"You said possible, but not definite?"

"Nothing is ever definite?"

"How then would I stop Senefera?"

"The only way would be to bring her forth. Bringing Senefera into this dimension is the only way to stop you from having you're very own version of Groundhog Day. Once Senefera's into this dimension, you just do what you had come here to do."

Knowing what had to be done Faith wrapped her hands around Connor's cross tearing it off from his neck. Standing up with a determined resilience she turned to Fred.

"Thanks."

"Don't mention it."

"I wished there was some way I could repay you."

"Stopping Briar would be enough."

Taking a look at Fred, Faith knew deep down there was only one thing she could do. Elbowing a nearby wall she tore a jagged piece of board and plunged it into Fred's heart.

"What are you doing?" Fred asked with an astonished and shocked stare.

As the being before her crumbled to dust, Faith spoke softly to herself.

"What Angel never could."


	27. Sisters

**Chapter 27: Sisters**

_Three Years Earlier_

It was the dead of winter. Snow fell from the sky almost mystically covering the cobblestone road in a white blanket. The sounds of grunts and church bells rang from a nearby cathedral echoed reverberated thru the air. A ferocious kick caught the vampire off guard sending him to the ground with a resounding thwack. Lexa looked up to Katrina, her eyes gleaming.

"Don't get too cocky," the young Watcher replied, flinging her raven colored hair off her shoulders. "Never allow yourself to be caught off guard. To do so, opens yourself up to --"

Suddenly the vampire kicked swiftly, sending Lexa to the ground.

"--retaliation," Katrina continued grimacing. "That _had to hurt_. Are you all right?"

"I'm fine," Lexa gasped windily. "Just got caught off guard there a minute."

"I see that."

The vampire bounced up, fangs bearing, his eyes looking down at the Potential hungrily. Katrina moved swiftly. Grabbing the vampire by the neck, she pushed him a few feet from where Lexa lay. The vampire lunged and Katrina bobbed away expertly managing to get a quick swift into the fangs gut in the process. Lexa watched in awe as Katrina and the vamp exchanged one blow after another culminating in a defeated collapse and a quick staking. Katrina looked down at her charge, who sat up on her elbows and looked at her Watcher with bouncy admiration.

"Stop looking at me like that," Katrina stated reaching her hand out to help Lexa up.

"I can't help it Trini. You look all cool and stealthy."

"Being cool and stealthy isn't going to help you in a tight spot. You need to pay more attention. And stop calling me that."

"Calling you what?"

"Trini. Someone else called me that once and well, I don't like hearing it."

"Was it your brother? Was it Wesley?" Lexa asked, almost immediately regretting it.

Katrina's face turned pained and quickly sour.

"I have no brother."

Lexa opened her mouth to respond, but seeing that Katrina was in no mood to speak about the subject further, decided quickly against it. She knew that Katrina did indeed have a brother and that he wasn't a subject she spoke about often. Lexa never understood exactly why the two weren't close, only that it had something to do with him working for a vampire, something Katrina could never reconcile herself around. Having grown up in Chicago, the only daughter of a prominent publishing family, she always yearned for a sibling. However, her parents were too busy enjoying the perks of the high life to care about her, give her a brother or sister. From an early age she had become tired of the wealth-driven, haughty and arrogant life in which she was born. Which is one of the reasons she cherished the day Mrs. Briar came to the door, with Katrina in tow, and carted her off to London.

It was not too long after her eighth birthday. She was surprised afterward to learn that her parents had always known she was a Potential Vampire Slayer. The Council had come to their home when she was a toddler, and her parents asked for a few more years with her. Then she realized that the distance her parents had put up between them was deliberate. They know they would lose her one day and wanted to spare themselves the pain of it. Lexa never saw her parents again. At least, in person. She had returned to Chicago when she was thirteen. Katrina had brought her all the way to the house, but Lexa had not the nerve to go inside the house. Her parents seemed happy, as if they hadn't just lost their child. Upset, Lexa left, never to return. Katrina would keep her updated from time to time on how they were doing, but Lexa never allowed herself to care. Especially when she had learned that her parents welcomed another child. A son named Beck. Her brother.

Life as a Potential, and with Katrina, was the only one she had ever really known. Katrina, who was barely into her teens when they had first met, was like a mother, a sister, a teacher and bodyguard all rolled into one. Someone she counted and depended on with her life. She cared about her immensely and knew that the feeling was mutual. Lexa was very protective of Katrina, like any good little sister would be, when it came to personal matters. She knew that Katrina still cared about Wesley, and wished there was a way for them to put the past behind them and be close again. Now, at age sixteen, Lexa thought of Katrina as family. And family always helped one another when they needed it. Even if they were reluctant to accept it.

"I'm sorry," she said looking to Katrina with genuine remorse.

"Its not your fault."

"I should stop bringing it up."

"No, you only have my best interests in mind, I understand that."

"But I should know better by now."

"Lexa, look," Katrina said taking a seat on a nearby bench. "What happened with Wesley. It still hurts. He works for a vampire. _A vampire_! The very thing we've spent our entire lives training to destroy. Its a slap in the face to everyone we've ever known, members of our family, whose lives have been lost in the battle against them. And do you know what his explanation was? This vampire has a soul. He's different."

"He has a soul?" Lexa said sitting beside her.

"Yeah, as if a soul somehow guaranteed righteousness. Humans are born with souls and they commit horrendous acts of evil. Its not the soul that guides whether we are good or evil. But the choices that we make. Wesley doesn't understand that."

Lexa gave Katrina's arm a comforting squeeze, "Maybe one day, he will."

"I hope so."

***

Determined and despite the growing heaviness in his limbs, Wesley pushed forward. Raising his blade, he sliced thru the guards that separated him from Briar, who stood eagerly awaiting beside the large stone altar. When he had struck down the last, he saw Briar raise his injured hand, motioning for the others guards running up to stop him to back away. Throwing the sword to the floor, Wesley walked closer. He was within a foot of Briar when something shiny caught his eye. Ignoring the tyrant, he curiously walked toward the mummified figure before him. A second later he stopped dead in his tracks. Picking up the mummies hand, he saw there was a particularly familiar trinket on her arm. Hands trembling, he turned it over, his fears confirmed.

"You son of a bitch!" Wesley spat looking at Briar dead to rights.


	28. Motivations and Revelations

**Chapter 28: Motivations and Revelations**

"You're in no position to be calling people names Wesley. You are, remember, in _my_ sand box."

Wesley swallowed, resisting the urge to vomit as the realization hit him like a ton of bricks, "What you're planning on doing to Katrina is unconscionable, immoral and disturbing on levels I didn't think you capable of."

"You don't know what I am capable of."

"Obviously not. How can you do this to a woman you proposed to love?"

Briar laughed, "You still don't get it, do you?"

"You're going to resurrect her, aren't you?"

"She's deserves it."

"My sister _doesn't_ deserve to be a part of your sick scheme for power."

"If it weren't for _your sister_ none of this would even be possible."

"What are you talking about?" Wesley asked quizzically.

"Let's think back shall we. When Buffy died at the hands of the Master. Faith was called. Creating two Slayers and thus breaking the whole one per generation cycle. Then, a few years later, dies again. But this time, there is no Slayer called. Now, why do you think that was?"

"I don't know. I always thought that since Buffy broke the cyclical nature of a Slayer's calling that the old rules no longer applied."

"Close. They still applied, only, all the rules were altered. Now when one Slayer dies, another is activated. Usually around fifteen or sixteen years old. When Buffy died a second time, creating a third Slayer."

"If that is true, why didn't we ever hear of it?"

"It took The Council a while to figure out what happened. They thought, at first, along the same lines as you. That Buffy altered the rules again. When they realized there was indeed a third Slayer, they went out in search of her. Having two Slayers was bad enough. Now a third? It was more than they wanted to deal with. But there was one thing they never saw coming."

"Which was?"

"The Potential knew what their views on a third Slayer would be and knew how to hide their tracks. It also helped that they were out of the normal Slayer age range. One of the newly altered rules of the Chosen game."

"How much out of the age range are we talking about?"

"About fifteen years."

Wesley stood looking at Briar, the gears in his brain working overtime as one by one the pieces began to fall into place.

"No!" he exclaimed as the realization finally hit him. "Katrina?"

"Yes," Briar gleamed. "She confided in me. Katrina was scared of what The Council would do if they found out."

"Did they?"

"Yes, and from all people, but my little brother."

"Logan?"

"We kept in touch. We thought we could trust him. But he felt so guilty about what happened to my hand and how he let my parents down that he told my father. He thought it would make up for this somehow."

"What did your father do?"

"He told The Council."

"What did they do?" Wesley asked, fearing the response.

Briar said nothing for a moment. Steeling back his emotions as they threatened to spill thru.

"They had her killed," he finally said in a hushed whisper.

"They didn't," Wesley replied as she shook off his disbelief. "Caleb and the Bringers killed her. My father said he was sure of it."

"They did. It was more than they wanted to deal with. There was a vote amongst the senior members and although your father tried his best, he was overruled. A single gunshot to the heart. They shot her potential in the head."

Wesley tried to wrap his mind around what he had just been told, finding it increasingly more difficult to concentrate as his condition deteriorated. Not only had his sister been a Slayer. But she was betrayed and murdered by the very Council which she dedicated her life to serving. Worse yet, his father knew his daughter was about to die, and didn't lift a finger to stop it.

"If they killed her, wouldn't another Slayer be called?"

"That's where Caleb and the Bringers came in. The original plan was to hunt down and destroy all Potentials over the age of fourteen. In the hopes that by doing so they would eliminate a third Slayer all together. Leaving only Buffy, Faith and a bunch of young ones who would one day take their place."

"This was always about here wasn't it. It wasn't about Logan at all."

"When I found out what they had done to Trini and Lexa. And to all those other innocent girls. I wanted justice. So I joined The Order and we found a way to turn the tables on their plans. And I annihilated them. I never wanted to hurt those innocent girls. Never. But Caleb wouldn't stop. So I made sure Giles found out about what was happening."

"And he would take the problem to Buffy."

"Who would eliminate Caleb and I thought, solve my problem. I didn't count on the whole activating every Slayer at once however. But it worked out to my advantage."

"You were going to use it to raise Senefe-Ra."

"And she would lead this new army of Slayers. And her spirit would give Katrina a second chance at life. I made sure that Buffy would find out about The Book of the Dead and the rest sort of fell into place."

"What about all those innocent Watchers you killed," Wesley replied in an indignant tone that caught Briar off guard.

"Innocent Watcher? No such animal."

"There were innocents. I mean, you killed your own mother for goodness sakes."

"They killed the woman I loved!"

"And that's supposed to make it okay? I don't think so. Katrina said to me once that its the choices that we make that define whether we are good or evil. And your choices have led you down an evil road. But its not too late to stop this. No one else has to die."

"They killed her Wesley. I loved her. What's wrong with wanting to be with her?"

"I know in some way, Jaxon, you feel that your intentions are just. But the road to Hell is paved with good intentions."

"How come you aren't angry!" Jaxon cried out in frustration. "This is your sister I am talking about!"

"I know. And I am mad. And I am angry. And there is a part of me that wants justice. But Katrina wouldn't want this. This won't bring her back."

Reaching into his jacket pocket, Briar pulled out a knife that Wesley recognized as the one that stabbed him. His dried blood still covering its blade.

"No. But this, however, will."

Plunging the knife into the mummy, Wesley's hand immediately flew to his chest. His hand curling around a white hot pain that was radiating from his heart. Collapsing to the ground he lay prone across the warehouse floor. As his breath began to come in short gasps he could feel his heart begin to slow in his chest. Its rhythmic beat skipping along towards its final beats. When Wesley gave his last breath, Briar pulled the knife from the mummy. Instantly it arched, a straggling gasping could be heard from underneath the bandages. Immediately he dropped the knife to his side and began to unwrap the constraints.

Within a few minutes he was staring into Katrina's deep blue and very much alive eyes.


End file.
